SPQR
by dreamsweconspire
Summary: A Son of Neptune I wrote as I imagined the book would be to keep me busy until October. It takes place after the official first chapter. Follows Percy at SPQR and his quest to regain his memories. Complete. EDIT/2013: some parts of this are extremely cringey to look back on so forgive me and consider yourself warned.
1. Change

**A/N: Okay so, I was starting to read this fanfic again, to see whether or not I've improved at all... And yeah, there's so many mistakes in here. Commas, plot holes etc. So as I'm starting to get back into writing, I've decided to try and edit this story as much as I can to fix that. So feel free to read on, but beware cause this is one of my first stories on here. And I wrote this in the summer, where I was off school. And a tad bit stupid. **

EDIT/2013: over more than a year and some people still find this. Sorry! Not my best _at all. _Feel free to read on but be way of what I mentioned above. And no I'm not even going to bother editing this, too much, no time. Enjoy if you can.

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><p>Reyna woke with a feeling that something big was about to happen. She'd had that feeling before she'd come to camp, and had ignored it. But over the years as a demigod she had begun to pay attention to her premonitions. After all Phoebus Apollo, her father, was the god of prophecy. Prophecies had never meant anything good to her. And now since Jason disappeared about 2 months ago, everyone guessed he was either dead or part of another 'Great' prophecy. Something had been a bit off with the Legion. Not many new half-bloods had been recruited, and the ones who were already in the Legion shared Reyna's feeling of unease.<p>

In the Apollo cabin where Reyna slept, her siblings were up and getting ready for breakfast. Reyna said a quick 'good morning' to everyone though she wasn't so sure what was so good about it anymore. In a way Reyna had become a pessimist, quite opposite from the sunny, happy-go-lucky way she was expected to act. Especially after the Titan War II everyone including her thought the gods would give her a break, but no such luck. She still made sure she had a poker face on when she looked around at her room.

There were 10 bunks, a few were empty, but Apollo being the player he was was bound to deliver more kids to fill up the space at some point. Guitars, lyres, drums and other instruments were strewn among the floor, along with plenty of bows and full quivers. The bell rang in the distance, and Reyna lined everyone up to go to the Mess Hall. Despite all the demigods being at least half-Roman and half-who knows what, they were American. So after a stereotypical meal of cereal and orange juice, everyone split off into different groups to do their daily training.

She was a councilor at camp, along with a praetor of the Legion. Her most important job, was one she did with pride. Holding the Aquila- the golden eagle. But after Jason was gone she was the unofficial leader, with everyone looking to her for advice. So she was showing the little ones how to hold a bow, when Bobby, a son of Mercury, ran into the clearing nearly getting hit by a stray arrow.

"Reyna!" He was huffing and out of breath, so he had clearly run a long way to deliver a message to Reyna. He was a high in the ranks, son of Mercury. So it was a sort of inside joke of his when he delivered messages like his father.

"Newbie! Right by the highway, he's just inside our boundary line." His face that was framed by curly brown hair wore a shocked expression. His usual mischievous smirk (a trait from his father- god of thieves) was gone and replaced with a look of disbelief.

"He looks around 16, 17? But he's clearly a half-blood."

Reyna responded with a thanks, and an order to stay with the children. She ran off to the Caldecott Tunnel where sure enough there was a huge crowd.

He was (objectively speaking, of course) a good looking guy, but he was completely passed out on the frosty grass. His jet black hair was longer than most of the boys at the Legion and it was pretty messed up with mud clumps and snow in it. His face was dusted with a coating of dust and grime so Reyna couldn't fully appreciate his features. The clothes he was wearing would give a Venus girl a heart attack, they were so torn up. His jeans looked already worn-out, but his shirt was almost completely ripped off. He was shivering slightly in the cold winter air.

His jacket, other than being filthy, looked unscathed, like him. Reyna studied him, trying to think or the proper way to take care of this. Since he was on his side Reyna could see a backpack with one zipper broken, and something that looked suspiciously like a panda pillow pet sticking out. There was a tray that still had some melted cheese on it. He was clutching a blue, 30cent ballpoint pen, and a clay beaded, leather necklace like his life depended on it. Reyna noticed the muscles that were exposed because of his useless shirt. She knew that he was going to be a great warrior, or maybe he already was. He had, after all survived on his own without any training. Except if he had already had a run in with Lupa.

Reyna kept on assessing the situation, mind racing like a true Minerva girl's (even though she was Apollo). He could be a spy! A leftover, un-killed demigod that had been working for Saturn. He could be dying by an invisible scorpion bite! She needed to clear the area, and fast.

"Everyone with no business being here, _leave_!" At the last word the boy on the hard ground stirred and his eyes shot open. They were a bright sea green swirling with many emotions, confusion being the most prominent one.

He jumped up and was greeted by Dakota- a son of Mars-'s spear to his chest. The boy looked around wildly, his backpack slipping to the ground. Reyna made a mental note to check it for possible suspicious items later. Better safe then sorry. Kota was definitely taking that saying to heart. His dark blue eyes were piercing, as he scrutinized the boy. His mouth was pulled into a scowl, while the guy tried to talk.

"Where am I?" Reyna stepped up to answer him sure that once he knew things he would answer me. Answer him, he'll respond to her. If not the ancient, faded Greek goddess of balance and fairness- Nemesis would help her. "You are at the Senatus Populusque Romanes; otherwise know as the Legion- a training camp for people like us." At this the boy seemed to reach a sense of accomplishment.

"Now, you tell us. Who are you?"

"Percy Jackson. And Lupa said… Wait is she here?"

"You know Lupa?" Gwen- a petite daughter of Ceres questioned.

"Yup, woke up at the Wolf House. And ah, well she swore I'd get my memories back when I get here. So…"

"Hold on. You're an amnesiac?" Reyna asked.

"Yeah. Dunno why. I can't remember anything but the past few months." In saying this he pushed down the tip of Dakota's spear. This caused him to grumble incoherently, while Percy continued. "So is she here?"

"No she's out hunting with her wolves. She'll be back whenever."

"Well damn." Percy looked worn out and Reyna wanted to know just how much he's been through. He was determined to know his past.

"So will you tell us how you got here?" she questioned, trying to be sorta nice.

"Long story short. Should've died, but didn't." Reyna, Dakota, Hazel and Gwen (the only ones who were still there), waited for him to continue. He didn't.

"Well, when your memory improves... we expect answers." As a daughter of Bacchus so she wasn't traditionally considered to be important. But Hazel was an excellent fighter and a great friend. Percy shot her a grateful look. She smiled back, her black- almost purple hair gleaming in the noon sun. "Well until Lupa comes, you're welcome here."

"Thanks I guess." He said only adding the 'I guess' because she said until Lupa gets here. Or maybe he had said it simply on impulse.

"What is this? We're giving the ungrateful little thing a free card? What has this camp come to?" Dakota roared then stormed off. Percy still didn't seem to care and glared in Kota's general direction.

Then Percy seemed to have an inner battle for a moment, before his shoulders ever so slightly slumped.

"She's always right. Isn't she?" He muttered to himself. _Talking to yourself, never that great of a sign, _Reyna thought. But Hazel nudged her before she could ask him if he was bipolar. Her eyes told her to talk to him alone, and that she would afterwards.

Reyna nodded and took Percy's arm. He shook her off without thinking. "I'll show you around," she said.

Percy followed her, ignoring all the whispers about him. His arrival had made people who are usually so well disciplined, actually gossip. But it's not like he hadn't been a new kid before any of this. And besides, when something this strange happens, what else are people going to do other than gossip?


	2. Crazy

**A/N: Second chapter! Yay! Hope there aren't too many mistakes in this and that you people like this.  
>~Hedley is Amazing<strong>

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><p>Percy followed Reyna deep in thought. His paranoid side was screaming that he had just left his back exposed to his possible enemies. He tried to calm himself down and have a look around while he waited for Lupa to come back. She had after all promised him a way to what he most wanted- his past. And surely after succeeding in his journey he would be sent back to where he came from. So he could see <em>her<em>. By now Percy knew Annabeth was part of his past, he just didn't know why. She was important to him and he trusted her, without knowing her at all.

When Dakota had screamed at him, his hand was itching to take out his pen and fight but _she_ stopped him. Her blonde hair was a halo around her perfect face. With intense grey eyes analyzing his plans with disapproval. It had been like that for almost two months? He didn't know that and many other things. '_You never did.'_ Her teasing voice whispered in his head. So he didn't fight Kota, gave up and listened to the girl's voice. It told him he was on a diplomatic mission just like Lupa had.

His mind took him back to the ruined, once beautiful house that looked like it had survived a recent battle. There was ice chunks splattered around in a way that made him question how the wind could have brought them there. There was even a boot in one, which was something he seriously needed. He was dressed like it was summer even though it was December. The only memory he had from his past- knowledge that the gods exsisted and the girl. So he vowed to himself he would see her again. Then the wolves came and Lupa told him his quest.

Reyna coughing brought him back to reality. "Percy listen, I know I don't know you. But you coming so soon after he's gone… It's connected."

"Who's gone?"

"Jason Grace." Percy noticed the way Reyna seemed pained to talk about him even though she was the one to mention it.

"Your boyfriend?" While he asked his mind drifted and he wondered if he had a girlfriend back home. Wherever home was…

"No well…almost." Reyna turned her face away from Percy probably to hide her face. Percy nodded but he thought about what the gorgons had said right before he tricked them. Their patron was Gaea, he knew that much but he had no idea who she was in mythology. There was also something about a Feast of Fortune and armies going south? Why had he randomly thought of that?

He put that out of his mind for a moment when he looked at Reyna.

"So how long have you been here?"

"5."

"Years?" That made sense because Reyna looked around 15 so could've been here since she was ten.  
>"No I was five. Haven't had contact with my mother more than a few times after that. Other than you know- letters. I think she owns some kind of poetry publishing business so naturally Apollo was drawn to her." Percy didn't know what to say but he realized all demigods had hard, complicated lives not just him. That didn't really comfort him; he knew that making other people suffer along with him wasn't really in his nature.<p>

"Who do you think my parent is?"

"Is it your mom or dad?"

"I don't know."

"Oh, right. Well let's see. Probably not Ceres or Venus."

"Why is it 'cause I'm ugly?" Percy said in a mockingly hurt kind of way but made Reyna blush. She had after all that he'd been pretty handsome when she first saw him.  
>"Um no, but to survive so long without training… You need have a powerful parent and natural skill." Thunder rumbled in the distance so Reyna quickly added, "Not that you guys aren't powerful." At this point Percy honestly couldn't care less if his mother was a goddess of cereal. He just wanted to <em>know.<em>

"Can you sing?"

"Never tried and would really rather not."

"Ok so can you hit a target with an arrow?"

Percy shrugged and Reyna took that as a no. "Fly?" Percy laughed a throaty chuckle.

"You're seriously asking me if I can fly?"

"Jason can." Percy mimicked her right after she said it which earned him a slap in the face.  
>"Thanks, I needed that." Reyna noticed he loved sarcasm, well who didn't? She did worry that witty remarks will get him in trouble with the immortals. Maybe that's what happened. Maybe he pissed off some goddess and ended up here with no past.<em> Highly unlikely. <em>Reyna thought because it still didn't explain how he had survived so long without SPQR.

"So you can't?" Percy shook his head with a straight face so Reyna crossed Apollo and Jupiter off her mental checklist. "Are you smart?"

"I'm dyslexic."

"Still are you?" Percy shrugged not really knowing if he was. He hadn't exactly had math exams while on the run. "How can you be dyslexic if almost every language is based off Latin?" She vaguely thought that this wasn't right, that English was not based off Latin... But you know, she was close enough.

"I'm supposed to know?"

"So you're not smart. If you don't know?" Reyna was just teasing him now but the girl popped into his head calling him stupid for something he didn't remember doing. "Shut up." Oh great, now he didn't even know which one he was talking to. He was losing his mind.

"Have you ever taken a particular liking to grapes or wine?" She said moving on down her list to the next god she thought of.

"I don't know!"

"Hmm, so still seems too powerful to be Bacchus…" Reyna murmured to herself making Percy think that maybe he wasn't the only crazy one.

"Do you enjoy the Underworld?'

"Um, no… Should I?"

"Not Pluto. Maybe Vulcan or Mercury…"

"Kay, so can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot." Reyna said ignoring the fact he already did and fighting the urge to say so.

"What the hell do those names mean? Isn't Mercury a planet?" Reyna's eyes narrowed. "Forget the fact that I ever thought you could be a son of Minerva. No wisdom or smarts in you."

"Aw, you're so sweet. So isn't Vulcan Hephaestus?"

"Yes but the correct term is Vulcan. Not Greek." Percy had a sudden flash of memory of a pony dude telling him about the Western civilization. Then it was gone leaving Percy sighing. That had been happening to often, the flashes of his past not helping him in any way but rewarding him with a headache.

The rest of Percy's day passed in a kind of daze. Reyna knew he was kind of out of it so like Hazel had told her, she let him off easy. Normally she wouldn't allow any sympathy in herself to show to anyone and Percy sure didn't like pity. At dinner he sat at what Reyna announced as the Mercury table. Among the throng of new people, one guy had introduced himself first. "I'm Bobby. Leader of this cabin, for now you can have an empty bunk. My siblings and I didn't have the luxury of extra sleeping space until last summer. I guess the gods were feeling generous…"

Percy blanked out; Bobby seemed like the annoying type- a guy that never fully left you alone. But even he along with everyone seemed suspicious, scared or at least wary of him. And yes it was annoying, everyone pressuring him for answers he didn't have. He was tired, all he wanted to do was sleep. The part of his mind that always worked overtime was probably ADHD. And that was the same part is telling him he was on enemy ground and that the tunnel was the entrance to camp. Now it was telling him something he didn't want to hear or believe- that sleeping might be a trap. _Who cares? You've barely slept in two months, go get some rest. _Said a lulling woman's voice that was nothing like the blonde girl's. His body happily agreed though as he lay down where Bobby showed him he could. He noticed he was still wearing his old torn up clothes but by now he couldn't care less. And of course when he most needed sleep, dreams decided to find him.


	3. Chance

**A/N: I don't know why but so far all the chapter names start with C. Change, Crazy, Chance… I didn't plan it like that, it's weird. Thanks to everyone who reviewed/put this on story alert. **

Reyna's day was pretty weird yesterday. Trying to find out who an amnesiac's godly parent is, isn't easy. Add one who almost passed out several times during the day, from pure exhaustion and your afternoon gets pretty screwy. Normally, she would've tested him to see if he was worthy by now but it wouldn't have been fair. _The world isn't fair. _Jason had told her many times during the long battle against the Titans. _Deal with it. _And he was right; if Percy wasn't ready today he would just have to suck it up.

Reyna waited outside the Mercury cabin for him to come out. She almost instantly felt bad though when, Bobby saw her there and he thought she was waiting for him. He pouted for a second but smiled anyway and kept walking with his siblings to the mess hall. Percy came out last, and if showers can do wonders on normal people, to Percy it was even better.

Water always revived him, he had learned that when he strangled a sea monster in the Carquinez Strait. Yes salt water worked best but water from a tap worked as well. Reyna noticed he was wearing the usual purple camp T-shirt and jeans. His face was clear of any dirt but even so he still looked sad and kind of distant. His hand kept fingering the pocket the pen was in, which made Reyna a tad bit suspicious but her hubris was acting up again. One weakling against an entire camp, he would never win. As Reyna thought about her chances Percy just kept thinking too about something entirely different.

Percy had no idea what his nightmare meant. He had seen the girl again of course. He had been seeing her since he woke at the Wolf House. But this time she was bleeding terribly, there was a sword wound on her side tinted with green- poison. She screamed his name, and he tried to run but couldn't seem to move. He cursed his dream-self for being weak but it didn't help. The girl screamed for Percy to help one final time then her body lay limp. He stared at her unseeing and tried to run, and sure enough **now** his legs worked.

He had finally reached her but it was too late. It was his fault she was dead. What if she was dead? Chances are she couldn't survive being a demigod without training. Reyna told him this was the only safe place for half-bloods so how could she have survived. But, Percy just couldn't accept the fact that if she was dead was he better off unknowing. No, he had to know- Annabeth herself had told him that strength sometimes had to bow down to wisdom. And he had reasons to believe her but he couldn't remember them. So he sighed, something he had been doing that a lot lately.

Percy and Reyna walked in silence the rest of the way, both lost in their own thoughts- thinking about the odds. And then they parted ways without a word, each going to their own separate table. This time they had waffles for breakfast, cooked by some of the Ceres cabin. Percy ate in silence while Reyna chatted without a purpose to one of her sisters. They were talking about some band breaking up as if Reyna cared. It seemed as if the camp was slowly forgetting that Jason- a hero of Olympus even lived. It wouldn't surprise her if some of the younger ones actually had forgotten. She tried to keep focused even though her mind kept going elsewhere. She decided to do some training so she could forget even if it was only for a little while.

Percy heard Reyna walking up to him before he saw her. "Ready to spar?" She asked as if he had a choice. She wasn't going to take no for an answer. "Anytime." Percy smiled right back at her. "Show me to the arena." Percy nodded and she followed him for once. When they reached the place that Reyna had showed him the day before she was surprised that he knew where it was. He had been pretty spaced out…

Percy took his pen out of his pocket and Reyna laughed. "You're really going to fight me with that?" Reyna thought again how he survived on his own. The Wolf House was pretty far from camp and with monsters… He uncapped it. That's how. "Yes I do." A 3ft long glowing bronze sword grew out of such an insignificant looking pen. Reyna pulled out her Imperial gold dagger. "It's short but deadly." She said looking somewhat lovingly at the blade.

For a second Percy saw Reyna's eyes replaced with intense grey ones. Then he blinked and again saw the light brown ones Reyna actually had. They, in reality were a sort of golden brown… gold- like the sun. Her hair, unlike Annabeth's flowing, curly waves- was straight. Percy sighed yet again. He can't let himself be deluded into thinking the girl was alive, only to be crushed if-no when he finally remembered.

Reyna noticed Percy staring at her, but she wasn't vain enough to care what he thought about how she looked. She thrust her knife at him to get him out of his trance. He dodged then swung his sword at her expertly. Reyna was taken aback by the fact that he had almost disarmed her. She half growled and struck his arm, expecting it to bleed and for him to be distracted. No such luck. He didn't seem fazed and Reyna didn't have time to assess how much damage she had done. He swiped at her knife hand and much to Reyna's disbelief, disarmed her. As a final touch he pushed her against a column and put his sword at her throat.

"You, you… Let me go!" Reyna said in outrage, especially since he wasn't even out of breath like she was. One of the Ancient Roman rules SPQR followed was to always recognize a fight well fought. But this wasn't even that, this reminded Reyna of the first time she had fought Jason. Damn Percy for ever reminding her of Jason. She scowled instead of thanking him when he brought her weapon back.

"That's it; you must be a son of Mars." Percy looked genuinely shocked.

"Why?"

"Well you can fight well. No one has beaten me since…" Jason. Percy knew she was going to say Jason but she couldn't get herself to. "Yeah but don't all demigods have to know how to survive."

"Well, true. And let me see your arm, where I cut you." Reyna stared in confusion at Percy's left arm. She was sure she had slashed him right below his elbow but nothing.

_No you caudus,_ she told herself. _You cut his sword arm. _She checked that too, but there was nothing there. "What in Pluto's name? How do you heal so fast?" If he was on some kind of pills or something she wanted to know what because it could seriously come in handy in battle. "No, well I guess I forgot to mention, I'm a bit invincible."

"Oh you are, are you?" Percy nodded and Reyna thought that maybe he had been blessed by Mars. After all, Dakota had been in the Titan War. But that blessing only lasted for a short while. To survive alone, Percy would need the blessing for a much longer time. Reyna voiced her thoughts aloud despite the chance of it not being true. Percy just laughed nervously before he replied. This made Reyna realize that he was uncomfortable with so much attention on him.

"Um yeah. Again don't know why or how." As for why Percy lied he didn't really know. The gorgons had told him that someone must have dipped him in the Styx as a kid. He didn't fully believe that, but it was his best guess. Kind of funny how sometimes your enemies help you out… after they try to kill you a dozen times. But he thought it was good that he hesitated to tell Reyna because he wasn't really sure about her. He wasn't really sure about too much anymore.

"Maybe Mars blessed you." Percy laughed incredulously surprising himself and Reyna.

"I don't know why but I have the feeling Mars did quite the opposite to me." Reyna slumped again as she thought of how much Percy was reminding her of Jason. He was so different from him that he was almost exactly the same. Reyna couldn't exactly place her finger on it but she thought that wherever the hell Percy had come from he was a leader.

"Follow me." Percy complied and found himself in front of a huge warehouse labeled with a number 9. Reyna knocked and a short boy of about 15 opened the door. "Hey Isaac, do you mind if we use the workshop a bit?" She noticed him eyeing Percy warily so he introduced him. They shook hands and Percy realized Isaac reminded of somebody… Percy saw a huge boat and green… fire? None of the pictures made sense, so Percy always tried his best to ignore them.

"He's a son of Vulcan." Percy nodded remembering what Reyna told him about the god of blacksmiths before. "So why are we in their… cabin?" He wasn't sure if this even was a cabin because he didn't see any beds but he did see a door. Which Reyna pointed at while she explained. "They get the biggest cabin because they make all our weapons and shields. They need room for all their materials. As for why we're here, I want to know whether or not you're a son of Vulcan.

Percy didn't think he was but he went with it. Reyna grabbed him a hammer and a scrap of metal. Percy started hammering away without a purpose. When he couldn't do any more he gulped at the result. It looked like a woman's face, the same one who had appeared to him that first night on the run. Reyna laughed slightly at his expression not knowing the seriousness behind the problem. "Well, you definitely are not a son of Vulcan. That leaves Mars, Hermes and Neptune."

Reyna thought about who it would most likely be. She thought that since there had never been a son of the sea god, there wasn't likely going to be one any time soon. Hermes had plenty of kids none of which particularly reminded her of Percy. Maybe he was just the odd one in the bunch, but Reyna doubted that. When Lupa came back she was going to report to her and ask her opinion. Lupa always told Reyna secrets, she said she was her most trusted pup.

But when Jason disappeared she had something about the giant's revenge and a certain someone named Chiron. Reyna slightly recalled a horse man from Greek mythology but she didn't like to dig deep into things which she thought were unimportant. And the way Percy didn't know the Roman names, it was annoying. But it was important to where he was from, she just didn't know how.

Percy knew that Reyna was keeping something vitally important from him, but he was too so, a moot point. While Reyna reminisced, looking off into the distance Percy looked at the necklace around his neck. He had that ever since he arrived at the Wolf House and it along with its pen was the only physical reminder he had of a life beyond running from monsters. That hopefully he had friends to come back to after Lupa gives him back his memories.

But he had a feeling that she had not been the one to take them away from him. And if she wasn't then chances are she couldn't get them back to him. But he hoped she could anyway. He knew it was a vain hope but it was the only lead he had to getting his life back and knowing more about the girl. He hated that he didn't know whether or not she was alive. Percy glanced at Reyna and realized she wasn't moving. Panicked her shouted her name and shook her shoulder. No response, it was like she had turned into a statue.

Percy then saw a bright light in the corner of the room he hadn't seen before and he looked towards it. He saw a tall and graceful with long chocolate colored hair in plaits with ribbons. She wore a simple dress but when she shifted Percy noticed the fabric shimmering with colors like oil on water. "Ah Perseus, we meet again." Of course Percy noticed the light emanating from her; he could practically see the power she had. But he still had no idea who she was. "I am Hera, goddess of marriage, though people here know me as Juno." She said maybe reading his mind but probably just his expression.

"And…" Percy realized that he really shouldn't be rude to a goddess, but he could care less. "Oh dear, even without memories you are the same Percy Jackson."

"How do you know I lost them?" Percy questioned, immediately suspicious.

"You didn't lose them, I took them." She said with glee, as if this was the best game ever. But Percy was outraged, he took his pen out and uncapped it, ready to use.

"Oh, but you wouldn't hurt me because I have all your answers." Percy hated when people used such good logic that he couldn't possibly think of a reply.

"Then tell me, please." He tried to keep the desperation out of his voice but it was hard since he was exactly that. "Ah but it doesn't work that way, surely Annabeth would've taught you better." She knew she had hit a soft spot by the way Percy looked at her with contempt. "Do me a favor first. If you won't for me then do it for that precious girl you love so much." Even before Hera had said it, he knew he was in love. He had to see her again; he had to hope she wasn't dead. He nodded.

"Good, this is easier than I had hoped. You're stubborn just like your father…" She said in a scolding voice and Percy imagined him as her mother probably looked when he did something wrong. "Who's my father?" Percy couldn't hide the desperate curiosity any more. "Ah, ah, ah," Hera said shaking her head. "You must befriend people at this camp, trust them. I believe the gorgons had already told you that Gaea is rising, that the doors of death are opening. I must leave now, so remember what I said. Once you do that, I will repay my debt to you." The goddess began glowing so Percy shut his eyes somehow knowing that if he didn't he would burn up. "Damn goddess." He muttered.

"What was that?" Reyna asked blinking. He turned and saw her, how could he forget she was here? "Did you see that?"

"See what?" Percy swore at Hera again. Reyna blinked, "W-what language are you speaking?"

"English?" What was she talking about? He had spoken English hadn't he?

"No it sounds like… Greek." Suddenly the door burst open. It was that kid Isaac.

"Lupa's back!" Reyna saw Percy's face looking expectant then it dropped again. Percy remembered what the goddess had told him that she had his memories not Lupa. A growl was heard from where the arena approximately was, so Reyna rushed out dragging Percy along with her.

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><p><strong>By the way <strong>_**Caudus **_**means idiot or blockhead in Latin. It's kind of like **_**Vlacas **_**in Greek. And the description of Hera is right out of The Battle of the Labyrinth, which I don't own. **


	4. Opposites

**A/N: Sorry for the kind of late update and a shorter chapter.**** Anyway read and review please! Oh and has anyone else seen the 2****nd**** official chapter of Son of Neptune? (PM asking me for the link if you want)  
><strong>

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><p>Sighing for the probably millionth time since he had disappeared from wherever he was before, Percy just walked out of the Vulcan cabin. When he arrived here at the Legion yesterday, he had held on to the faint hope that he might get his memories back after he did what Lupa told him. Now that hope was gone, he knew he had been tricked. Of course he might've been a bit stupid to just do whatever a random talking wolf told him, but waking up in the cold night in the middle of nowhere, what other choice did he have?<p>

And he saw that she was wise. He faintly remembered some old myths about twins… and Rome? And a wolf named Lupa. She had told him to trust his inner radar, which he did and here he was at the camp. If she wanted to kill him, she could've done it already. So now she wouldn't- right? But everyone has that annoying, little pessimistic voice in their head. For Percy it was screaming that no one would even care if he was gone forever. _'Annabeth would care_,' said his optimistic side which had been acting very dependable lately. Too bad it was hard to listen to.

Reyna was just thinking of all the things she had to report about to Lupa. She had said Reyna was a loyal pup and Reyna was determined to prove to Lupa that she was every chance she got. Sometimes Kota would call her a kiss-up but she didn't care. It was better to be one because anyone at the camp who directly disobeyed or disrespected Lupa would be at the mercy of her claws. As far as Reyna heard, nobody wanted to risk it and with good reason. Percy looked around brooding, which was very dangerous around a wolf that has been around for over two thousand years. She had basically seen it all so she could identify any negative feeling towards herself.

When Percy and Reyna walked into the clearing all eyes were on them. Everyone noticed the angry look on Percy's face that would most likely get him in trouble with their mentor. Gwendolyn turned suspicious when Lupa's face morphed into something that looked like surprise. Why would she be surprised? Percy had said that she knew that he was coming to camp. But no one said anything as the animal circled Percy. Reyna backed away from him while Percy just stood there unflinching with cold, almost hateful eyes.

"You should be dead," Lupa hissed at him.

"You tricked me." Percy said his voice ringing through the entire clearing.

Lupa sniffed the air, and then recoiled as if Percy smelled terrible. "How did you survive the gorgons?"

Percy, if possible looked even more furious than before. "You sent those after me?"

"No." Lupa paused, she seeming forgotten she had an audience other than Percy. Glancing around she was being cautious of what she said, "You being here, is dangerous. I don't know what it means, if the gods had come to this. I know who you are Perseus-"

"Then tell me!" Percy demanded looking more than a little miffed at this point. This had something to do with the small fact that she had used his full name.

"No, you must find your own way."

"I hate when people tell me that!" Percy grumbled but Lupa caught his accidental slip-up.

"Who else has told you this?" Percy realized what he'd done and quickly tried to backtrack without much success. Realizing he might as well tell the truth, he started again.

"Um, Hera kind of appeared in the warehouse, and uh spoke to me."

"A goddess? Here?" Hazel said incredulously. She herself had never seen her own father at all. You'd think the god of _wine _would have time to visit- at least once! But you'd be wrong. Almost no one here had seen any of their godly parents and they assumed they never would.

Percy just kind of nodded half looking at Hazel, but still looking terrifyingly angry. But Dakota had noticed something that wasn't quite right with what Percy had said. Since the Roman demigods did not learn of the Greek myths at camp it took Kota a few moments to realize who Hera was. Many have said that he isn't the brightest crayon in the box. By the time he realized it was Juno, Lupa spoke.

"Control your emotions. It is a weakness to show your anger. Your enemies may choose to use it against you." No matter how true that sounded, Percy still didn't want to trust anyone here, so he questioned his paranoia.

"Are you implying that you are my enemy?"

Lupa growled a sound that started deep in her throat. "Do not push me Perseus. I do not hesitate to discard of intruders." Percy didn't react to her words, just stiffened a bit as if he was feeling a tug… from somewhere. Hazel was the first to notice the river gurgling behind him but she didn't mention it, assuming it was just the water spirits playing around a bit.

Dakota laughed at Percy's awkward expression and nudged Bobby who was beside him. Bobby looked like he was feeling sorry for the poor kid but Kota was merciless when it came to newbies.

"Ha, he's acting like a Greek! Weak, disrespectful, stupid…" Bobby laughed half-heartedly but Percy whipped around to face him. Bobby flinched and Dakota was surprised because he expected some kind of scream of defiance to what he'd said- the usual reaction. So he gawked at the reason why Reyna screamed at Percy- to run.

She was looking behind him so Dakota following her gaze. There was a huge wall of water being held back by some invisible force. Percy looked at it, concentrating and one by one droplets of water flew back into the lake. Hazel watched in amazement as Percy visibly relaxed his posture, and realized that it was him because in the demigod world, there were no coincidences. Lupa barked out,

"Son of Neptune." This announcement caused everyone to gasp and a child of around 9 called out.

"What else can you do?"

Percy shrugged, "I don't remember." The little girl sighed and one of her older siblings pulled her back. Lupa told everyone else to leave while she stayed with Percy and Reyna. They obeyed. Percy stood there with Reyna a couple feet away from him.

She was looking at him in awe but in truth she was barely even thinking of him. The mere fact that he was a son of Neptune, the first one ever at camp- confused her. Weren't the eldest gods Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto supposed to have sworn off having more demigods? Then again most of the gods were married and still went off having affairs who knows how many times. They never kept their oaths. It was a pity though, that such strong half-bloods weren't meant be alive. The gods should use their power for their advantage instead of disadvantaging SPQR against upcoming future wars. The only other demigod there with one of those three as their father that she knew of was… Jason. That is until Percy came along. She had to forget Jason! But she couldn't. If he was alive, he would never forget her. She had to stay loyal.

She swore again but Percy and Lupa will still deep in conversation she they took no notice of her. But he and Jason, they really were opposites. In looks… Percy had sea green eyes reflecting his father's domain, the ocean. Jason had electric blue eyes almost exactly like the sky. Percy's hair was jet black- like midnight, long and shaggy; messy in a nice way even Reyna had to admit. Jason's was short but still very messed up (it was rare that a half-blood had time to care about looks unless their mother was Venus) and blonde. Similarities- they were both in shape but Percy was taller and looked a bit older.

She now knew they were both very powerful, being sons of two of the most powerful gods. Their fathers argued a lot, their 'kingdoms' were opposites. Reyna could already see that Percy didn't really like to hold anything back- he was impulsive. Jason was more patient and calm in a way. She could see they were both leaders though she didn't know where Percy had come from. Reyna was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't notice the conversation turned to her until Percy snapped his fingers in front of her face.

"Anybody home?"

"I'm sorry, what was that?" She asked turning to Lupa.

"The best we can do is continue to train with him, until we learn more information." There was a sort of dangerous glint in her eye as if when she said we, she didn't include herself. And that's yet another reason how Reyna believed Lupa knew who Percy was. That's yet another thing she was hiding from her 'most trusted pup'. Those were her words not Reyna's.

"Yes," she said answering respectfully then turning, trusting that Percy will follow her. He did.

"So where are you leading me?" Percy said in an emotionless voice honestly not caring anymore. Then he saw the tattoo. It was on Reyna's left forearm, 10 lines with something that resembled a cow on it. There were letters, SPQR- the camp name. The mark looked etched painfully into her skin. He took her arm looking at it pointedly.

"Oh that? That's just our brand. It shows we're loyal to the Roman Empire. All soldiers had it back in the old days. The lines are for how long you've been training. For me, the cow is because of Apollo."

"His sacred animal."Percy nodded and added this in. He knew who this god was because his name didn't change when he switched forms. _What kind of camp does that to teenagers? _He knew that if he got one, it just wouldn't feel right. The way that he knew mixing his bead necklace with a purple shirt just didn't go. They were opposites, not meant to be together. But he had no other choice. He had to listen to Hera, respect Lupa all the while making friends here. Otherwise he would never know _her._


	5. Routine

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed! Special thanks to Anime Princess for a great idea that I will use soon. This chapter is for my friend EC. Silence since it was her birthday today!  
><strong>

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><p>For the next couple of days, nothing really happened at SPQR. Percy almost immediately moved out of the Mercury cabin and moved into Neptune's cabin. It was very similar to the rest of the cabins on the outside, the décor only differing by showing the specific god's symbol of power. Trident for Neptune, golden eagle for Jupiter, owl for Minerva…<p>

Percy was far from settling down and giving up his past life. No if anything, after all that had happened, he was more determined than ever. But he had slowly gotten in on the routine. Slowly he stopped getting gawked at when people heard he was the son of Neptune. He just went along training, always training. So the days passed and it was almost the end of February. He had been trying to avoid Lupa as much as possible because he didn't like her crazy ramblings that made no sense. Her always questioning why he had come here and why he didn't know, was getting old.

He understood that only Hera knew, he did not need to be reminded at every possible opportunity. And the only way to get them back was to appease dear Queen Juno which he was not so keen on doing. He had thought many times about just ditching this whole thing and leave to be on the run again. But her annoying, scolding, motherly voice repeated itself over and over again. _I wouldn't do that if I were you. I have all the answers._

So he forced himself to show off his so called 'skills' and keep an indifferent expression on all day long. It was hard but thoughts of Annabeth kept him going, not that he was a die-hard romantic or anything. It's just he needed something to look forward to, something to keep him going. Frankly the thought of the same old dinner everyday was just not enough to do that for him. One day he was wandering around aimlessly in his one free hour that week. He crept closer when he overheard two people talking about… him. He felt as if he was not usually an eavesdropper but wouldn't anyone do the same when people were talking about them?

"…listen I seriously need some advice. You never were the girly girl but..."

"No but Gwen, it's useless. Wherever he came from, he probably had a girlfriend." Both voices sounded familiar and now he knew the first belonged to Gwen. Before he could think on the second one Gwen spoke.

"NO! I mean, if he forgot about her then it's a free for all!" Now he realized that the second was Reyna's.

"Just go ask a Venus girl, and stop bothering me."

"Fine …" Judging by the way her voice was getting closer to him and so was the rustling of leaves she was leaving. And he should have too but sometimes he just really is an idiot.

_Shit, no time to move now_, he thought when she gave a startled yelp. "Mother of fruit loops! Why are you here?" Percy tried to keep an uncaring look on his face but mother of fruit loops? What the hell? Logically, it made sense. She was after all a daughter of Ceres- goddess of agriculture and… cereal. He laughed aloud for the first time since he had passed underneath the Caldecott Tunnel. Gwen backed up slowly right into Reyna who saw Percy laughing and looked up at him awkwardly. When Percy stopped, he explained.

"Oh um, it's just my free time and I was uh walking and heard people talking."

"You stalk us?"

"NO! I just kind of overheard you guys talking about… stuff." Gwen turned bright red as Reyna tried to cover for her.

"It's that new Tyler kid, everyone thinks he's hot."

Percy smirked, "The 6year old? Really? I think that's kind of like you being a pedophile." Gwen blushing again so much that she really resembled one of her Mom's prized, fresh-grown tomatoes. As soon as Reyna said that Percy probably had a girlfriend his thoughts turned to her. _Her_ meaning Annabeth, who else? Everything seemed to be about her these days. Then suddenly Reyna's watch beeped.

"Looks about time for more training… How 'bout you two pair up? Yes, well I'll go find Bobby." She announced quickly walking away not giving the pair time to object.

"So how's it going?" Percy asked Gwen in a way that really didn't help the situation, just trying for small talk. Gwen was assertive and to the point like a lot ADHD demigods. She really hated when people tried to get around the truth- especially if it was staring them in the face- even though she had just done the same thing. Kind of hypocritical but…

"OK listen up, Percy. No cheating. I don't know if anyone had told you this but to Romans honor is way more important than even winning sometimes. So if you value your rep, play fair." Percy just nodded, annoyed. He had been told that a million times here and as for his powers… He hardly ever used them unless deemed absolutely necessary. "And for you… No thorns missy."

Gwen mock saluted him, easily stepping out of the embarrassment she had felt only minutes ago. Percy was amazing like that, she often found herself getting lost in his deep green eyes. So many times Hazel had to snap Gwen out of it. Sometimes even Percy had to bring her back out of her thoughts. How ironic when he was the one she was lost in... That was the worst thing she needed right now was to get distracted. It was a weakness. But sometimes your greatest weakness is also an advantage. If only she could distract Percy…

"So are you single?" She said in the most flirtatious way she could summon, the way Venus girls had coached her for hours. Percy uncapped Riptide and touched the tip of his sword to the side of her belt. Where he knew her sword was. She stabbed- err- rather tried to stab him in the stomach. No luck, his sword met hers with a loud crash. Heart pounding she struggled to regain power and succeeded. So he stabbed at her leg, cutting a long gash in her thigh. She groaned and tried to adjust to her pain-enduring fighting style she had used in the Titan War.

Percy opened his mouth to apologize but she pressed him harder. In the end he still won, his head so close to hers, his sword at her throat. Gwen wanted him to kiss her so bad. But he backed up handed her weapon back and capped his.

"Like I said a thousand times before… I don't remember." Then he winked, turned and started to briskly walk away leaving Gwendolyn rudely staring after him.

He had won again. Against everyone he had faced so far, the outcome was him as the winner. It annoyed Reyna to no end but to both Gwen and Hazel it was endearing. Even more so endearing how even though he had mega bragging rights, he never did- brag that is. Modest, that's a rare attribute in heroes, especially males. But Percy possessed it.

As he walked away, he saw a girl sitting down by the river with her feet in the water. At first he thought it was a naiad but then he realized it was Hazel. "Hey." The girl jumped in surprise since she didn't hear him coming. "Oh hey! I was supposed to find you and tell you to come to the meeting tonight."

"And I thought it was exclusive…"

"It is but…" Hazel went off into a long explanation about how if you're the only one in a cabin you automatically go- at least to the important ones.

Percy blanked out, waved goodbye and left for dinner a tad bit early. He ate alone at the Neptune table like he has been everyday. He sat there with the same sense of déjà vu he had had since he woke at the Wolf House. He had done this all before. But how? How if this were the only safe place (and camp) in the world for half-bloods?

After dinner he met in the arena with the other cabin leaders. They were all solemn and a flashback of something very different flashed before his eyes. There was a ping-pong table with grapes and two curly haired twins who looked like Bobby laughing. Then he blinked and he was back in the present. A fire was lit and they all sat around barely speaking, waiting for Lupa to arrive.

As Percy had thought before, there was a bit something wrong with Lupa. Not just that she was a huge wolf who talked to people in their minds or that she was thousands of years old. She seemed nervous, anxious even. Something was about to happen. _Brace yourself_. Ok but that is kind of hard to when you didn't know what to expect. Then again, that is the point. To prepare for what you don't know. But before he could think some more on that disturbing phrase, Lupa arrived. All stood up then bowed and took a seat.

She paced back in forth, the flames looking as if they were dancing along her back. "This will probably come as a shock to all of you…"

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><p><strong>AN: Ooh, I kind of ended it on a sort of cliffie. :O So you know what to do! And I couldn't resist putting that mother of fruit loops thing. Shout out to one of my best friends said that today and I asked if I can quote her. And I did. So anyway yay, it's the weekend!  
>~Hedley is Amazing<strong>


	6. Sybil?

**A/N: I got a good idea to use for this story, so here is my second longest chapter yet! But I still really don't know what to do for the quest, so if anyone does please send me them. So R&R!**  
><strong>~Hedley is Amazing :)<strong>

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><p>"… but the next Great Prophecy is starting." The gasp that went up from the crowd was as predictable as it was hilarious. Percy had a feeling of déjà vu accompanied with a foreboding sense of dread. He has had this for the past week or so, but this time he just couldn't shake it off. Lupa continued.<p>

"I have spoken to our Sybil recently and she has decided that it is about time that everyone heard about it specifically." Percy was told who the Sybil was, via Reyna. Sybils were the people who came up with so called 'great prophecies.' Personally, Percy didn't really see what was so great about them. From what he had heard, all they seem to do is to ruin many people's lives. Reyna had told him that anyone could go out on a minor quest without requiring the Sybil's agreement, needing only Lupa's. A minor quest would be for example- a demigod scouting mission. However when there was a war and the quests stared getting more serious, many were seeking the Sybil's advice.

Traditionally, they were like the oracle of Delphi. Only instead of staying in relatively one place (Delphi) they travelled around giving advice. Now-a-days she travelled around back and forth from New York (where she went to school) to SPQR where she was their Sybil. Percy snapped out of his reverie when Lupa continued 'talking'. Or rather twitching and barking… Percy still didn't get how he understood her, as much as he remembered he never studied how to speak wolf. Then again, he didn't remember anything. "Seven half-bloods shall answer the call/to storm or fire the world must fall." Percy jumped out of his sitting position on the ground as if someone had splashed him with a bucket of ice cold water.  
>"An oath to keep with final breathand foes bear arms to doors of death." He spoke as if he were in a trance not even noticing the different tongue he was speaking.

It was silent, the only sound being the crackling of the fire, every so often illuminating Percy's face. He had sat back down cross-legged on the rough ground and was just as confused as the others. His lips were moving slightly- repeating something over and over again. To Hazel, who was sitting right beside him it sounded like "I know it, I know it. Gods damn it, why can't I remember?" She was a daughter of Bacchus so she specialized in recognizing madness in people early- before it was too late. It was a very bad thing that she was honestly questioning Percy's sanity right about now.

The most shocking part of what Percy had done is not that he knew it (though that came as a shock to everybody as well) but what language had he spoken?

"Was that Greek?" Dakota sneered saying 'Greek' as the worst possible, most unimaginably terrible thing anyone could ever happen be. Just as he had said before. This time though, it hardly did more than annoy Percy he was so spaced out. A daughter of Minerva spoke, confirming Kota's thoughts. He then proceeded to glare daggers at the son of Neptune who was currently doing the same to Lupa.

"Why do I know Greek?" Lupa ignored Percy's question completely and addressed the crowd, purposefully excluding him. "Our Sybil will be arriving soon, early tomorrow morning in fact. All further questions can be answered then." Lupa said and Percy knew that last bit was just for him, even though the others probably had tons of questions as well. The meeting was dismissed and right after Lupa stalked off into the night out of earshot, Percy was ambushed.

This time not even sympathetic Hazel helped him out for she was just as curious as the rest of them. "Who told you that prophecy?" Dakota asked suspiciously (as always) and slowly moving his hands to unsheath the sword attached to his belt. Hazel stopped his hand when she noticed what he was trying to do subconsciously. Percy's face was impassive and uncaring about Dakota's obvious authority.

"I don't know why but I just know it."

"You snuck around, overheard us talking about it… What's the punishment for lying again?" Dakota accused unrightfully. This made Reyna's eyes flared in anger. She always fought with Kota- even over nothing.

"We weren't even supposed to talk about the prophecy. If you're getting technical then it's you who disobeyed Lupa's orders."

Dakota lunged at Reyna- temporarily forgetting his anger at Percy. But Hazel who was still holding his hand, kept him from doing anything rash. Meanwhile Percy was not scared of the son of Mars, nor did he have that much of a reason to be. He in fact was itching for a fight.

Percy had realized last week that no matter who many of the 'best swordsmen in over a century- besides Jason' fought him, he won. Not that he was too confident in his abilities- his fatal flaw was not hubris like Reyna's. He was almost positive of that. His ruling of the world would be kind of a disaster as he himself had said to Reyna when they were discussing the topic. Then Bobby attempted to get the truth out of Percy and succeeded much to everyone's disappointment. To everyone's dissapointment because he had already said it. Sons of Mercury were not only good at lying and stealing, they were very good at finding out the truth. So when Bobby told everyone Percy was not lying many just scoffed and left in two's or three's.

The only ones who stayed were in fact, actually only Gwen, Hazel and Percy. He had not seen Gwen since the incident earlier that day, where he had overheard her and Reyna talking about him. So to the say the least, it was a little awkward, but Hazel's constant chatter filled the silence. Looking back on it, Percy had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Maybe it was about some legion-wide fake battle for training? Gwen had no idea either for she too was busily lost in thought.

As a daughter of Ceres, she was never considered very important in camp. All she was expected to do was grow the crops and cook the food. But soon everyone saw her worth at the early starts of Saturn rising. And since she was no daughter of Venus so she didn't fall in love too often. She saw the newbie literally come out of nowhere, somehow hit the tree and black out. She had felt it for the first time, love that is. Her heart beating a little too fast when he was around is what caused her to go to Reyna for advice. Why she chose Reyna other than the fact that she was one of her best friends- she had no idea. Reyna was just as clueless about love as Gwen was if not more.

After all, everyone in the entire camp saw that Reyna had feelings for Jason and that he returned those same feelings. They were best friends, sometimes seeming like they were meant to be. At other times it confused Gwen, especially when Reyna told her that the night before he dissapeared they had talked. Reyna told Gwen how they agreed to just be friends. That a relationship was too hard to keep under Lupa's strictness. As much as that was true it wasn't because so far Hazel and Dakota seemed to be doing just fine.

At random moments in about the two weeks Percy had been there, she imagined them together just like her dating friends. Recently, she had tried to accept that it just wasn't going to work out between them because Percy must have a girlfriend back home. But Gwen was a die-hard optimist that only saw the good side of things. So when she thought that there was no way Percy could actually be single she thought positively. That maybe there still might be someone out there for her too. Or that maybe, just maybe, Percy would pick her. All in all, while Hazel had been talking she had easily reassured herself as well as she did to her friends in their time of need.

Percy was still sitting there on the cold grass in the nearing night while Hazel finally seemed to run out of words to say. Hazel joined him and Gwen in the eerie silence, picking grass to keep herself occupied. Hazel absentmindedly remembered how shocked Gwen had been the first time she had seen someone destroying nature. Hazel swore that sometimes her friend was even worse than the 100% environmentally friendly fauns running around camp.

Hazel snuck a look at Percy who had taken his leather and clay bead necklace off for the first time. He was staring at it intently his dark eyebrows furrowing and his lips curled in way that Hazel knew was his signature confused look. He was trying to remember. She moved right next to him trying to get a closer look. Percy flinched, glanced at her then continued to give the beads his undivided attention. The first one was pitch black with a green trident; the second one had something that looked like a fleece blanket. The third one was decorated with an intricate maze or labyrinth and lastly the fourth one had a tall building in the foreground, with initials all over. Too many names… maybe of fallen soliders?

Percy snatched it back and slapped it around his neck, looking almost desperate. Was he afraid of losing it? It was after all the only physical thing he had left of his past other than his pen. How was it like to not have a single memory? Terrible, Hazel could only imagine. Percy was now glaring openly back at Hazel, clearly sensing her pity and hating it. Gwen looked up and spoke for the first time since Hazel finished her never-ending conversation with herself.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Percy asked and Hazel could detect no emotion that she had seen in his eyes only seconds ago. She had either imagined it or Percy was extremely good at hiding things. She wrongly guessed the former option because no one she knew was that good at masking their weaknesses. Gwen did not answer Percy, just got up and left leaving him rapidly running after her and Hazel following him. When they all arrived at the border, out of breath, there was yet another small group of demigods crowding around something. Just as there had been on the day Percy had arrived.

Gwen yelled out an order to disperse. In response they formed an aisle, at the end of which there was a girl with a pretty average build. She had frizzy, bright red hair and piercing green eyes. She wore paint splattered jeans that were clearly not bought like that. In fact there were even small holes in them, like she might have stabbed her pants with a fork. Around her was a black cloak warming her up since it was about 30 degrees below zero. Percy just stared for a second then nudged Gwen. Before he could ask, Gwen answered his obvious but unspoken question. "That's Rachel, our Sybil. She arrived a bit early-" Percy couldn't reply, he was only able to stare with his mouth wide open in shock. _Rachel Elizabeth Dare._


	7. Verdict

Rachel knew that she would see him when she came here, but she was still unprepared. No one back at Camp Half Blood knew of her 'other life' and no one at the Legion knew of her life in New York. The other just assumed she was in school when in reality she was at the other camp being Oracle or Sybil whichever works. But when she saw him, she was shocked. He looked so different. It had been more than three months since she had last seen him because she still did go to school in her spare time. That must be funny to say to someone 'I go to school in my spare time,' especially when you are a seemingly normal looking sixteen year old girl.

Percy didn't know her, he just had a feeling that this girl was from his past. He didn't love her, at the thought he saw _Annabeth _angrily punching a tetherball. All he knew from that flashback is that it was because of this girl Rachel. She slowly approached him shock clearly etched on her face. So he wasn't just hallucinating, she knew him too. But he could only hope that the surprise was better masked on his face because if he knew this girl and the half bloods knew he knew, then he would never get a second alone. They would keep pestering him with questions like they had been a lot lately. Too bad he still didn't know and no matter how much he thought he followed Hera's orders he didn't get anything back. He had made friends here, or at least he thought he had.

Rachel was staring openly at Percy, trying to read any emotion on his. But she couldn't detect anything other then the half-hidden shock and the still ever-present confusion. He looked worn out as if he hadn't had a good night's sleep since he left, which was quite possible. Were nightmares haunting him? The answer was yes but Rachel didn't know it. And she couldn't really question him right now she thought when she remembered the Legion's rules. It would be against them if he showed how much he cared which he obviously did even though he didn't know her. His fatal flaw was loyalty after all.

All the demigods stood there, obviously waiting for Reyna's verdict. The truth was she didn't know what to say or do. You'd have to be blind not to see the way Percy and the Sybil were looking at each other. It was nothing romantic; she could see that much it was just so intense. They knew each other and Rachel was from Percy's past. She didn't want to pry- oh who was she kidding? She was dying to know but doubted that she would learn anything before they had a chance to talk to each other. So she ordered them all to leave and intended on telling Lupa that Rachel had arrived in exactly 7 minutes for them to make do as they want with it.

"Do you know Annabeth?" These were the first words Percy managed to get out in a coherent sentence. Images were dancing around in his head. Skeletons, Kleenex and a blue plastic hair brush. That was random, yes but most likely all relevant in a way. Again the grey-eyed girl was the first thing that came to mind- the most important thing to him at that moment. Rachel smiled slightly before she answered. "Well hello to you too and yes I do know Annabeth."

"Who… who is she?" He got out desperately not caring for any pleasantries as he had seen Reyna look at her watch. They only had a limited amount of time alone; he's better not waste it.

"Look Percy," damn, she had blown her cover already.

"H-how do you know me?" Rachel honestly considered telling Percy the truth but she couldn't. It would upset the Fates and change the outcome of his destiny. She didn't know the details of what exactly would happen but she didn't want to be the cause of it.

"I- you were a friend. Listen, I can't tell you-"

That was the wrong thing to say and Rachel found out when Percy's lip curled in anger. His eyes were set in the furious way that she had hardly ever seen him wear maybe only when he had faced Kronos. But never had it been directed at her, slight annoyance- sure, storming rage- no. If she hadn't been protected by the Oracle's blessing, she would have been a bit worried. But this was Percy who would never hurt her intentionally even if he didn't know her.

But these few months Percy had been on the run from monsters then the last two weeks at SPQR had hardened him. And yes Rachel knew where he was at all times. In fact, the real reason she hadn't been with Annabeth right when he disappeared was because she was with Reyna worrying over Jason. Yes after the Titan War she had gotten to know them both and saw their similarities and the danger of what was to come more than anybody. She had to swear on the Styx not to tell anyone of what she knew so she usually used Clarion Ladies Academy as a cover up, even though she was there for a lot of the year. Her parents never knew of her absence because with a little of _persuasion_ the teachers never told.

The hidden reason of why she had said that it was now time for the Romans to know of the full prophecy was to see him. And she really did not expect to see him not laughing and full of hate and anger. But it was there with good reason since he had had his memories stolen from him. "So no one can tell me. Oh hey that's fine!" He said laughing so mockingly that even a toddler would be able to see the fakeness. "…because Lady Juno will help me out in the end." He sad smiling tauntingly at the sky, as if daring it to thunder which it didn't.

"Percy calm down," Rachel said cautiously putting her hand on his shoulder. He glared at her then his expression softened. She could see all the hopelessness in his eyes which was no longer masked by his brooding look. She wanted so badly to help him and an idea suddenly hit her. "If we go to Lupa, she'll tell you something that will get you your memories back in the end."

"Promise?" Percy said sounding like a little kind about to be holding out his pinky but he honestly at this point could care less. Together they walked back to the arena where the First Legion was already assembled. Lupa sat there expectantly, waiting for Rachel to join her. She did and Percy followed close behind ignoring the stares of his fellow demigods.

Even he knew this was the place where the Praetor and Aquillifer stood. The latter being the man who held the golden eagle, basically the second in command. Percy had taken Reyna's spot but if he moved he would be occupying Jason's spot. He wanted to just go back and sit down with Hazel or maybe Gwen. A voice in his head protested telling him to just stay there and wait.

Lupa glanced over him said nothing so he just stood, waiting along with the rest of them for Rachel. But she didn't speak for she too looked as if she was anticipating something. Not knowing what it was they were awaiting them, they all remained there, hardly moving. Suddenly Rachel spoke one word. "Now." And there was a blinding light and after that, there stood the Peacock goddess clad in her rainbow colored dress.

"Perseus." The Romans looked from one to the other until Percy stepped forward, bowing slightly. But it was still disrespectful and Juno would have blasted him if not the necessary part he was about to play. "Yes?" He answered sweetly knowing just as well as she did that she was harmless to him as long as he was needed.

"To get your memories back, you are going to do me a favor." There was silence when Percy nodded without even thinking about the possible outcomes. He was like that, rash and impulsive, it was what made him alive today. "Good, I knew you'd agree. Now the doors of death are opening which I believe you found out when you were fighting the gorgons. Yes?" Everyone was muttering gorgons and Hera realized he hadn't told them anything. "Ha, and you expected me to repay you for making the false acquaintances you call your friends. I know how desperate you are, Jackson."

Percy didn't deny nor confirm the statements that Hera had made, so she continued. "Ixion, that pesky soul that was condemned to torture millennia ago is now out about. So if you wouldn't mind disposing of him? My husband and I would much appreciate it and you would be rewarded." This was it; this was the answer to him finding Annabeth. He nodded again and Lupa spoke. "So this would be a quest?"

Juno nodded, her form flickering slightly from her Roman aspect to her Greek. "I must be going or Jupiter will get angry. Oh, the poor mortals, good luck Perseus. If you succeed we will speak again." When she disappeared all eyes turned to Percy who had his jaw set- determined. Lupa spoke, "Do you accept the responsibility of leading a quest issued by Lady Juno herself?" Percy nodded so Lupa spoke again. "Well then, Rachel you know what to do." She nodded and then swooned.

Green mist came out from all around her and Percy went to yell for someone to help when Gwen slapped her hand over his mouth. Her eyes opened revealing a piercing bright green- no whites or pupils. Mist flowed out of her mouth and words were spoken as if three Rachel's were talking at once. "Three shall reach the wheel of fire, One seeking memories he will reacquire. They shall learn the dreadful truth, of the danger bestowed upon all their youth." She hissed and just about face- planted until Percy caught her.

He set her gently down leaning against the tree and checked her head to see if it was burning. Everyone else however just stood there in awe of how Percy was taking his prophecy. "The Sybil's verdict has been made, now we must decide the other two going."


	8. Explination

After Rachel woke up from her fainting episode, the rest of the night was spent planning. Kaelyn a daughter of Minerva stood and addressed the crowd. Why her of all people? Because nobody really remembered who Ixion was and needed a refresher.

Juno hadn't been lying; she just didn't give the detailed version of the myth. He had originally been king of the Lapiths who were a legendary group of Greek people who lived on the mountain Pelion. After a couple of minutes of Kaelyn ranting about how that was the hometown of some centaur Chiron, she went on to explain that the mountain was located in Thessaly. Honestly nobody cared much about that at all so finally when Hazel gently told the Minerva girl to get to the point she reluctantly did.

They learned that Ixion was in some myths believed to be a son of Mars, in others Jupiter or the child of a minor god. His brief personal history was he married some girl but did not pay the bride price- which is like a dowry reversed. His father in law's retaliation was to steal four of his horses. Which in turn made him fight back, but with something much worse- murder. His neighboring princes were so appalled with what he's done they refused to cleanse him of his crime. He lived as an outlaw after that for he was the only one in Greek mythology that had been rightfully accused of killing a family member.

Shockingly Jupiter felt sorry for him so he was invited to dine with the gods. Ixion had immediately grown lustful for Juno and Jupiter sensing this, had tricked him. One day when Ixion was sleeping he made a cloud become the form of Juno and let him have his way with her. His suspicions confirmed he then condemned Ixion to a winged fiery wheel constantly spinning and was later on transferred to Tartarus. So in short he was back and Juno wanted a favor so naturally she called on Percy.

Percy- of course saw his past when he most needed to focus. Particularly Annabeth. She must've taught him this but the most reoccurring thought in this particular moment was that the feeling that he should know Chiron. The centaur that was not wild and reckless like his brethren. When Kaelyn explained his background Rachel looked at Percy expectantly like _how do you not remember that?_ But Rachel wasn't being much help with his missing memories.

Everyone seemed to know him- like the gorgons when they said that he had been the last one to defeat Medusa. And why would they earn more fame than their sisters for killing him? He was only Percy Jackson.

Lupa knew who he was as well and had turned to purposefully ignoring his questions a while ago. She muttered on and on that he should not be here, the world was ending if he'd come here. To say the least, it didn't exactly make him feel welcome or at home.

Hera was an immortal goddess who just seemed to love toying with him. She told him what to do, but the task was just _so _difficult. And he had a feeling that even if he played kiss-up, she would not relent and give in. She had some sort of master plan. For revenge? For victory? Just another thing he didn't know.

And now Rachel arrived and she the only one who seemed to honestly regret not being able to tell him. She was concerned for him but she knew that she had to come here for him- to give him a prophecy.

It was actually pretty clear to Rachel for the first time but still very confusing for everyone else. _One seeking memories he will reacquire_ was pretty obvious. The only amnesiac in camp was Percy and this was his quest after all. This gave him some hope since it did say he would get back his memories. But what truth that young half-bloods would learn? Reyna had a sinking suspicion she knew what. But she was probably wrong. The way he knew the gods in their Greek forms was probably only a coincidence…

The quest did make two problems arise. Who else would be going and where would they even start? Many campers volunteered but Lupa hardly gave them a second glance. When Bobby raised his hand she nodded in approval the same way she did when Gwen put hers up. She hardly even glanced at Percy to see if he approved of his companions. Instead she looked at Rachel who nodded.

"When do we leave?" Percy asked, wanting to go almost right away because he needed to know- well everything. "In approximately 6 hours, at sunrise." Lupa wished them all good night and happy questing for she would be going off hunting again tomorrow. Percy went off to his cabin but was stopped by Rachel who had just called for Bobby and Hazel to come back as well.

"What's up?" Percy asked nonchalantly while Dakota glared at him from somewhere to his side obviously pissed off that he wasn't going. He only paused once to move his sandy blonde hair out of his eyes.

"You guys better behave on this quest." She said which caused Gwen to blush. Awkwardly Percy remembered the conversation she'd had with Reyna which caused him to redden as well. Rachel glared at him worse than Dakota and shook her head.

"No I don't mean that kind… No arguing, ok? Someone- er something is depending on that to happen in order for this quest to fail."

Rachel saw that Percy was once again angry that she had let something slip but couldn't reveal the rest. She was just furious that he'd even considered the possibility that she might think that he and Gwen… Annabeth would kill him! Then Rachel after she found out that she was the Sybil as well.

Sighing Percy nodded, too exhausted to care too much about Rachel's expression. He had after all an idea about what she was talking about. Hadn't either Stheno or Euryale told him that their patron was Gaea? She must want them to fail… Percy honestly didn't know, maybe that's what the truth they would found out. If Gaea was rising, it could only mean bad news. He didn't mention it though, just nodded and went to his cabin for real this time.

That night of course he had more nightmares, but for once they were not of his past or of the blurry future. There were still faint, yes but he definitely saw a sleeping form of a dirt brown woman sleeping but smiling. At him. He woke on the top bunk he had claimed as his own, nearly slamming his head off the ceiling in the process. That woman was the same one he had accidentally carved in a piece of metal in the Vulcan cabin. Slowly he turned to look at a clock, it was five and there was no point in trying to sleep now.

So he slipped off the bed and took his old backpack out from under one of the bunks. Inside there was still a Swiss army knife, a portable GPS, duct tape and a sleeping bag. It seems as though when someone checked his bag they had disposed of his pillow. Maybe they thought he had hid something in it. Oh well, over the past 2 months Percy had learned to get less and less attached to things. Being a materialistic person is never a good thing especially if that person is a demigod.

Sighing, he found the duffel bag Bobby had given him at the meeting saying that he had a feeling he's going to need it. Percy emptied out the contents of his torn up backpack into it along with a couple extra clothes. He was ready, checking the clock he realized it was still only 5:30. If he wandered outside, he might be stopped by the guards from the gates that patrol around. He didn't want unnecessarily explain why he was up but his ADHD got the better of him.

Shutting the door behind him he tried to remember where Rachel had said she was sleeping. Not recalling it, he went over to the creek. There he sat, leaning against a tree still not being able to shake the feeling that this wasn't his first time. He must have been on a quest before. Besides the one where Lupa lied and he came to camp. He had after all been already claimed and seemed to know how to fight.

But Reyna had told him repeatedly _this is the only safe place for demigods in the world._ But here it wasn't even that safe. You could get killed by Lupa almost 24-7 or by any one of the campers with a weapon. In short, the life of a demigod was never easy. Percy had realized that a while ago, when he woke up knowing nothing. At the beginning he hadn't even known Annabeth. It was only when he saw his first monster which was some storm spirit. Then with every new thing he encountered, he remembered her more and more.

So since he had settled into a routine, with no change, hardly any memories had come back at all. That changed when Rachel arrived with the quest. A blonde boy holding winged converse shoes sprang into his mind. Along with it came a feeling of protectiveness and jealousy.

He was jerked out of his reminiscing when he heard a sound behind him. On instinct, he pulled out Riptide only to be met with the redhead herself. "Oh does this ever bring back memories with Hoover Dam…" She stopped realizing she had said too much. Percy sighed and capped his pen. "Sorry."

"Yeah, well you couldn't have hurt me anyway. What with me being a mortal and the blessing of…" She trailed on and on and Percy felt as if when she was talking large rocks were being thrown at him. When she finally stopped and looked at him inquisitively as he spoke.

"What're Bobby and Gwen doing?"They should have left by now. The earlier the better.

"Packing, probably." She passed him some nectar and ambrosia. "You might need this."

Nodding though he had no clue what it was he put it in the side pocket of his bag. Then he saw Annabeth lightly and jokingly slapping him. _Food of the gods, how could you forget that? Idiot._ Then she'd flash him her pearly whites and he'd just smile sheepishly back. What a peaceful scene. If it had been actually happening, he could have almost imagined that he was a blissfully ignorant mortal.

His bead necklace choked him slightly as if to remind him that he was not normal. He was a freak among freaks. He didn't belong here. He couldn't stop thinking about this as he walked with Rachel to find Gwen and Bobby.

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><p><strong>AN: If anyone has any ideas about what monsters they should meet in the quest, please tell me! Any ideas are welcome so anyway hope you enjoyed this chapter. Review! Thanks to everyone who reviewed/faved or story alerted. :D  
>~Hedley is Amazing<br>**


	9. Preperations

**A/N: Hope this chapter wasn't too terrible but I probably won't be able to update until Sunday… Enjoy! Then review :D **

**~Hedley is Amazing**

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><p>Gwen was slowly packing all her things making sure she didn't forget anything. She had been on a couple of quests that all had to do with the Titan War. So she wasn't new to questing but it was her first time she had ever heard the Sybil. Honestly it scared her along with most of her friends but they all hid it well. Percy however had no fear in his deep green eyes only concern for this person he had just recently met. Of course Gwen wasn't that stupid. To have survived as a half- blood to nearly 16 she had to be clever. Besides it didn't take a genius to see the recognition cross his face when she walked out of the trees. His eyes widening, mouth opening slightly as if to form a question but not knowing how. Rachel's expression was quite similar to his but slightly more knowing.<p>

So when fainting and spewing green dust everywhere naturally made Percy worried. Gwen along with Hazel and the rest of the campers were a tad bit surprised to see an expression other than indifference, anger or confusion cross his face. He had been pretty good at concealing his emotions, better than most newbies. _He isn't new to this. No more than you are_. A voice told her. But she didn't listen to it because lately that same voice was telling her that he was her enemy. No matter what he did, she wouldn't believe it. But his annoyance towards Lupa, mysterious appearance and skills told her that he might be a spy.

But as a daughter of Ceres she was very far from a son of Mars. She was far from being as suspicious as Dakota. A little paranoia never hurt anyone to badly... Other than Hazel, she was one of the most sympathetic people at the Senatus Populusque she didn't show that trait around Lupa because they were supposed to be ruthless and merciless. In truth, Lupa was not necessarily the big bad wolf everyone thought her to be. She had been rumored to eat one of her pupils but hadn't the Greeks done similar things in Sparta? Something about leaving 'worthless' children to die- even throwing them off a cliff rang a bell to Gwen. Scoffing she zipped up her backpack, said goodbye to some of her siblings and left for the arena.

She hated cartoons or really any type of movies where they were portrayed as barbarians. Everyone has a weakness. Just because they're strong enough to hide it doesn't mean they don't have hearts. Gwen stopped in her tracks realizing her thoughts had started to sound like a cheesy soup opera. _Let's leave those to the Venus kids_. She thought to herself. Reaching the clearing she saw Percy's footsteps leading away from it. No! She didn't stalk him, she just happened to know almost his exact foot shape. There's nothing creepy about that. Convincing herself she didn't deserve to be in jail she sat down beside a nearby tree. Tracing flowers on her legs she slowly turned to hearts, then surely enough his name- over and over again.

Bobby woke up late- as usual. It's not his fault he didn't hear his alarm over his sleeping cabin mates. Yeah, it's not even his fault he forgot to set it in the first place. His brothers and sisters were already on their way to breakfast while he was frantically shoving things into a random bag. Had his father not been the god of travelers, he would've been screwed. A loud knock followed by his door creaking open made him frantically close the bag. It was Percy and Rachel.

"You ready yet?" Percy said which kind of caused Bobby to frown. He should not be disrespectful to those above him in rank. Then again he was a son of Neptune and looked almost a year older than Bobby. Still, camp years count the most for seniority. It was after all stamped forever on their arm. For Bobby he also had a caduceus- the most common symbol of power for Mercury. He didn't mind having the tattoo; no one looked at him awkwardly. Everyone who could even see it knew what it was for. He wore it proudly like a true Roman would for anything that showed his power and status. After all it would always be with him so why not?

So instead of throwing a fit about seniority and everything running through his mind at the moment, he just nodded and left out the door. Percy seemed deep in his own thoughts- like always but not the least bit worried. He was anxious, anticipating. Well, he was going to get his memory back. But on Bobby's first quest with just Reyna, he had been extremely nervous. Now he just didn't know what to do. Where to go first, somewhere hot? No. Why would a man that had just gotten off a spinning, burning wheel of torturous Hell go somewhere hot. He would go somewhere cold. Russia? Maine? Quebec?

He'd voice his thoughts later. He saw Gwen sitting on the ground talking to Reyna. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the Apollo girl. What he would never admit to someone is that he liked her. But she and Jason had always been meant for each other. There was no way he's ever going to win against the Hero of Olympus. He'd given up flirting a while ago. It only made her mad and said that having a player for a Dad was enough. That was true; his Dad had had way too many girlfriends to count. Bobby himself would stop remember after about the 10th. As for an immortal that's had thousands of relationships and who knows how many children- there's a reason gods are said to be forgetful.

Rachel wanted to break the silence but she didn't know how to. So pulled Reyna to her feet and elbowed her. She understood and began to speak to Percy about something the others couldn't hear. As for Rachel she turned to Gwen and Bobby and spoke to them seriously. "That last line is no joke. Whatever truth it's talking about-"

"The danger bestowed upon all their youth." Rachel closed her eyes.

"Yes. Don't- don't judge anybody if you find something out. As I said before you need to work together. Understood?"

"Yes oh mighty Sybil. I will heed your words of advice." Rachel glared at Bobby and it was much worse than even what he would imagine a son of Pluto's would be like. "Do not forget my _words of advice._" Rachel sighed, the more time she spent here, the more she thought like a Roman. That's what she was scared of and what Annabeth was _terrified _of. It would be so easy for Percy to change with no memory. That's what Hera was hoping for. Then it would be easier for him to help negotiate. Did she not think that maybe it would just turn him bitter? Apparently not.

Reyna was talking random nonsense to Percy, running some myths through her mouth off the top of her head. He wanted to leave and when she realized Rachel was done with her friends, she unexpectedly pulled Percy in for a hug. He awkwardly embraced her back, then pulled away and smiled. It was a sad pull at the corners of his lips but it was his first of the morning. "Don't worry about Gwen and Bobby. I'll make sure they're fine." Reyna nodded gratefully, knowing that Percy meant it. She also noticed that he said nothing of his own safety.

Just as Rachel had said goodbye, Dakota and Hazel stopped by to bid them farewell. For once there was no timeline on this quest, at least not so far. So who knew when they'd be back? Hazel pulled him into yet another tight squeeze which he returned after a second's hesitation. Trying for a carefree grin that turned into a grimace he returned his face to neutral. Hazel laughed at loud at his fail and nudged Dakota. He put out his hand for Percy to shake which he gladly did. He knew it was forced by the other boy's girlfriend but he had to make friends with these people. He hoped acquaintances were enough for Hera.

With a final goodbye he set off into the distance with no idea what they were doing. He was just aching for a change and more of his past and just to get out of the camp. The guards at the gate nodded slightly allowing them to pass. There were off into the unknown.


	10. Stalling

"This was a really stupid idea." Bobby said looking out onto the highway intersection laid out before them. Percy just tightened his jacket around himself for he too had been thinking the same thing about 10 minutes after they had crossed the Legion's borders. It was freezing outside and they had no idea where to go. Gwen just stared out into the distance forlornly while Percy decided to walk left- bad idea. A car had to swerve out of the way to avoid hitting him resulting in the driver giving him the finger.

"…reminds me of New York." Percy murmured, softly fingering the fourth and final bead on his necklace. Gwen and Bobby were curious but finished with questioning him. They no longer doubted that he had indeed lost his memories. Why else would he be going on this seemingly useless quest? He had backed away from the curb again and slowly sat down on the cold, blindingly white snow.

"Bobby, shouldn't you know where to go? You're dad's the god of traveling!"

"Well Gwendolyn, when we have no idea what we're supposed to do… It makes it kind of hard." She crossed her arms, huffing, the process enabling her to see her own breath. Percy still hadn't spoken aloud so Bobby just shot back at Gwen. Something that Percy didn't even understand, then realized it was in Latin. This had gotten really annoying. He had told them many times in the past three hours since they'd left to simply 'speak English!'

They were stubborn so he let them continue in the foreign language until he just couldn't handle it anymore. "Just shut up! Did you not hear what the Sybil said about no arguing?"

They both flinched at the authority in his voice as if they automatically wanted to be on their best behavior. After a few moments of silence and of Percy contemplating, he spoke again. "Don't you think it's weird that…"

"No monsters have attacked yet?" Gwen continued for him and Percy just nodded nervously.

"I know, on all the other times I've been out of camp… They swarmed us." After a bit more of the conversation going like this they just went straight- north.

Bobby was the first to notice his feet getting harder to lift with each step he took. Passing it off as sleep deprivation, he continued walking. No- by now it was trudging. So they slowly trudged along until Percy's foot got caught in the snow.

"Ha-ha very funny Gwen. I get it, payback for eavesdropping. Now untangle the root or whatever you set on my foot." Said daughter of Ceres stared blankly at Percy as if he'd gotten a little crazy.

"I didn't…" A maniacal cackle filled the air and with it the sound of leathery wings.

"No, no, no." Percy recited as he pulled his foot out of the frozen mud. When he finally managed, he looked up only to see one of the only known things that could devastate him even more. The gorgons. If possible they had reformed even more hideously from the last time he had killed them.

But what was behind them was even worse. There was a man with a face that was weathered and brown from years in the sun. He had slick black hair and a black pencil mustache like the villains have in the old movies. He smiled at the demigods, but the smile wasn't friendly; more amused, like _Yes! I love to torture people. _One would think demigods would be used to weird anatomy after hearing about Janus who has two heads or Briares with 100 arms. But this guy was three complete different people.

His neck connected to the middle chest like normal, but he had two more chests, one on either side, connected to the shoulders, with a few inches in between. His left arm grew out of his left chest and the same on the right, so he had two arms, but four armpits, if that makes any sense.

The chests all connected into one enormous torso with two regular but beefy legs, and he wore the most oversized pair of Levis Percy'd ever seen. His chests each wore a different color Western shirt- green, yellow, red, like a stoplight. The middle one had a speech bubble that said Ribfest Barbecue on it and Percy wondered how he could even put it on; when he had no armholes.

Percy couldn't fight the spark of recongnition he got after seeing his yellow crooked teeth and hearing the words he said. "I couldn't work at that ranch anymore now that that pesky son of Ares was in charge." Percy then faintly saw some kind of blood-thirsty man-eating horses in the corner of his mind. But he snapped himself out of it. Now was no time for flashbacks. Gwen and Bobby took their weapons out but meanwhile Percy hadn't yet. He uncapped his pen immediately reassuring himself with the sight of its familiar glowing bronze.

Stheno smiled at him. "Hello, Percy Jackson. I believe you need to introduce yourself to our wonderful great- nephew?" She paused slightly here and turned to Euryale as if asking if she was right. The other sister nodded at Stheno she continued talking. Percy however was trying to think of a plan. Any plan at all- besides just running- to get them out of here. He was coming up short.

Gwen's thinking was one step ahead of the son of Neptune's. She thought of something very cliché and overused and so _simple_ that it was bound to work. Flattery and distraction. She glanced at Percy and Bobby and jerked her head. After a moment's hesitation they understood.

She started speaking slowly, while Percy and Bobby crawled ever so slightly backwards. Gwen made the cowboy look-alike continue talking while the guys took advantage of the two sisters fighting. Then of course someone had to screw the plan up. Gwen gritted her teeth in anger when she heard Bobby step on a twig. He swore as Percy sprang backwards- away from the claws of the gorgon. He had pushed Bobby with him- in turn actually saving his life. Scrambling to get up which was especially hard for Percy seeing as he had Stheno on his chest. Her weight kept him down while Bobby engaged on a fight with Euryale.

Gwen still had Geryon's full attention. For better or worse he hadn't noticed or cared the fight behind him. He smiled while the pretty blonde kept sweet talking him. She was no daughter of Venus- that was for sure. Meaning that she had no skill whatsoever in the area of charmspeaking. But her voice was soothing, like all Geryon wanted to do was lie down and maybe brush up on his gardening. He got so into the vision that when he looked around aimlessly he still didn't care that his great-aunts were fighting to the death. They'd reform just like he himself would. So even if they were killed they had nothing to lose.

Geryon almost felt flowers growing up his legs planting their roots in the ground firmly. Still smiling from Gwen's reasoning he looked down and screamed in outrage. The spell had worn out causing Gwen to hurriedly back up and yell to retreat. Percy happily complied while Bobby finished off the still scolding sister for the fifth time. They then booked it out of there, not looking back. The ground seemed to teeter a bit which made them all trip up many times. Suddenly, after running nearly a mile with the monsters hot on their trail- they stopped. And no it wasn't of any of their own will. The Earth had literally stopped them.

Percy stared wide eyed at the pile of mud in front of him. It was the woman he had carved out accidentally in the Vulcan warehouse on a piece of bronze. Gaea. Mother Earth. Cursing, he frantically tried to free himself but failed. "What!" Bobby asked out loud for he too was in the same predicament as Percy.

"It's Gaea. Don't you feel it?" And yes they all did. As if a soft breeze was lulling them to sleep. Gwen was the first to snap out of it.

"Go now. Talk later." She pulled both boys out of what was honestly starting to look like quicksand. The monsters had stopped and when Percy looked back he saw them standing there smirking at them. But it was only Stheno and Geryon standing there. Euryale had been killed by Bobby and hopefully wasn't coming back anytime soon. The trio finally stopped fleeing when they reached train tracks. _This is perfect._ Gwen thought._ Now with a bit of luck, it'll just go north._

Percy looked at his fellow quest members. "Good work back there. Didn't know kids of Dem- er Ceres could do that." She just smiled proud of her heritage. She did notice that Percy had stuttered when he said her mother's name. But given the fact he had complimented her she decided to ignore it.

So instead she voiced the question that automatically forced itself out of her mouth. "Did you know any other ones?"

"No I…" he denied then his eyes widened.

"Bobby! What happened?" He asked with concern evident in his voice. He did have reason to worry for Bobby was badly wounded via gorgon's claws. Shaking his head to say it was nothing, his friends refused to listen. Gwen got out some ambrosia and fed him some until he his arm stopped bleeding. Percy took out some bandages and sloppily covered it. Bobby looked at grimacing.

"Well I'm no Reyna or son of Apollo. Am I?" He said defending himself so abruptly that Bobby laughed. Gwen just had to join and soon they all were. And again they didn't what they were doing of their own accord. A loud motor sound told them the train was approaching. Grabbing their packs they got ready for it to stop. No, they were not purchasing tickets. Though Gwen insisted Bobby finally convinced her, saying that the mortal money was only to be used at absolute emergencies. So when the train slowed to a halt and people got off.

Percy rushed over along the tracks until he reached an open door where a blonde girl was getting off. _Annabeth._ The lady turned and Percy grimaced at her slightly. She looked about 60 and had dull blue eyes which could never be confused as grey. He pushed past some angry passengers and climbed in. Luckily this seemed like a public train, not a fancy one where they had to stamp their tickets and all that. In fact, here it rarely ever happened. No one gave the three teenagers odd looks as they sat down.

While most companions were communicating, the half-bloods didn't speak for a while. After all sometimes silence speaks louder than words. In this case they were just all tired and couldn't afford or want to keep up a conversation. When Bobby started nodding off, neither Gwen nor Percy objected to him sleeping. Who knew when they'd get another sort of peaceful night's sleep? Gwen wanted to question Percy about what exactly they are going to do next but when she looked over, he was already snoring peacefully. Well maybe not so peacefully because he had stress lines running across his forehead.

Without thinking Gwen smoothed them out and thought of how tired he'd looked. He had after fought pretty well with that gorgon. And being a quest leader took a lot out of you. She knew that firsthand. She leaned back in the actually quite uncomfortable seat and closed her eyes. _What harm can come to those who sleep? _Said a lulling, motherly type of voice. She had heard that recently. But before she could think on that she answered back to the voice. Saying only one word she fell asleep. _Nightmares._

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry for not updating for a while. :( And I can't believe I have 50 reviews! And some people asked me where the second official chapter is. It's on fanfiction from the author** Deviant1 UK **So anyway I'm kind of rushing right now so I hope you all enjoy this chapter. R&R!**_**  
><strong>**~Hedley is Amazing****  
><strong>_


	11. Thoughts

Gwen's dreams did nothing but make her appreciate the stillness and complete quiet of the train as she woke up. The reason for this was that she didn't remember any of her dream. Only the never stopping feeling of dread. It was always there threatening to swallow her. As one of her more dramatic sisters would say- like a venus fly trap. They would always make references to plants. Mostly it was really annoying, especially if you're the one who taught them everything they knew. And they used it against you.

_Everything in life can be used against you._ She thought with a sigh. It was one of the things she learned through tough years as a demigod. So she kept her poker face on, no matter what. Just as Lupa had taught her to since she was a young cub. Looking around her at the unnatural peace she caught sight of the boy sleeping beside her.

By day he looked much older than what she assumed his age was. Now he looked a good 5 years younger. She had tried to make the stress lines on his face disappear last night. And it seemed to have worked until they showed up again all of a sudden. Percy mumbled something in his sleep. Gwen couldn't make out what it was at first but then he said it louder. "No. Don't hurt her. Take me." By this time he had woken Bobby up but gladly no one else on the bus. Gwen's relief at that was short-lived.

"NO!" He shouted as if he was an actor in one of those heart-felt drama films. . All eyes- sleepy or completely alert- turned to the Son of Neptune. His eyes shot open, still glassy from sleep and frantic from his obvious nightmare. The curly haired boy that reminded him so much of some twins, leaned over him. His eyes twitched in annoyance for bringing attention to the trio who were illegally traveling on this bus.

"Sorry," said Percy his words still slurring together with a dim panic behind them. The passengers glanced at one another, shrugged and turned back around in their seats. No mortals cared about the heroes who had saved their lives at many occasions. Not because they were ungrateful- simply because they didn't know. Just like Percy, they didn't know… anything.

After an awkward silence Bobby nudged the quest leader. "Hmm?" He asked, clearly not all there at the moment. He was stuck back in his terrifying dream. The nightmare had started off with Annabeth dying because of him-again and unforgettably finished with the dirt lady speaking to him once more. _Hopeless. Doomed to fail. Fail. _He would fail in the end. He would get his memories only if he completed his quest. But with every time he slept, he became more anxious to just forget about it all. For Percy to just go back to dueling with the gorgons every two hours would be the easy way out. Eating stale gummy bears, sleeping on the streets and just getting way from anything… Paradise- just absolute bliss came to Percy thinking about it.

He hated being on such a directionless quest. They had no idea where to go or what to do. With no destination or set goal in mind they were bound to stray. Bobby finally answered him in a perfect imitation of a solemn train conductor. "We are now entering Washington state."

"Great, just great…" They had entered some kind of weird train that took them across the border without even making sure they had money or even passports. Some would say it's almost too good to be true.

Bobby thought of how strange that seemed. Even to him- the most un-paranoid, easy going Roman there is. The strange little train lurched to a sudden stop causing Percy to gasp. Not because the pause in the soothing movement of the vehicle had stopped. Because they had reached Santa Claus country. It was a scene from a picturesque winter postcard. Snow falling, icicles gleaming off trees. It was some meadow in who knows where.

"Train stops here kids." said an actually quite beautiful lady with a smile.

"Thanks," Bobby replied quickly. He stepped off the train when the doors opened, rushing so as to avoid any questioning.

While he succeded in getting off along with Gwen Percy was having some trouble. That pretty lady had continued talking to him despite the awkwardness between them in the air.

"Having any weird dreams lately? A quest will do that to you honey." Percy stiffened and kept walking only to find that Gwen and Bobby were already off the train. The woman was still following him. "I'm Io, remember me when the final battle arrives."

With that she seemed to melt into the seats leaving Percy with a smell of a pasture. He ran off the coach just before the doors closed and Gwen was starting to go back in them. "Hey, what took you... What's wrong?" Bobby had noticed the sudden change in Percy's face. Like he had seen a ghost. "Oh I'm fine, you just got to hate the clingy ones- you know?" Bobby cracked up when Percy elbowed him. _So that random lady must have flirted with him. Leaving him with awkwardness when he ran off.  
><em>

_If only that were true_, Percy thought reading Bobby's thoughts as easily if they had been friends forever. To anyone looking onto the trio it would seem that way. They had gotten quite used to questing together despite the fact it had only been about 2 days. Gwen laughed at the boys' stupidity then she remembered where they were. Stuck in the middle of nowhere.

"She lied, you know that right?"Percy swore and Bobby just sighed.

"Yeah, but maybe it was for the best." He said having a go at being optimistic. He was surprised to see that Percy nodded. For now they seem to have an unspoken agreement to just think about where to go next. Not any creepy ladies who smelled like cows.

Gwen wondered what Percy was holding back. She knew he had lied to her on many occasions. Or maybe not lied- just kept secrets. Like when he had refrained from telling anyone that Juno had visited. Or what she had said to him, or even what he had done on the way to SPQR from the Wolf House. To Gwen, Percy really was a mystery. But it seems that he was the same even to himself. That made one thing clear. The reason why he had come on the quest in the first place. That of course was pretty obvious but Gwen hung on to the one thing she was sure about when it has to do with Percy.

Percy sighed loudly as they continued walking. "Where are we even going?"

"Let's..." Gwen started but a cranky Bobby cut her off.

"Let's do what? Ask for directions?" Percy came to a sudden halt.

"Good idea," he said with no noticeable hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Where? We can't exactly go to a gas station. " Gwen stated the obvious while trying to think of an camp? Bad idea that would end with an angry wolf. Ask monsters? Crazy but... Questioning something coming from Tartarus itself might work. The daughter of Ceres uncertainly voiced her thoughts aloud.

"That actually might work," Bobby contemplated unconvincingly. Percy just nodded, wondering how the monsters could possibly have made it from 'Frisco so soon. Then again people should not be able to melt into seats and disappear. Technically Percy should not even exist seeing that Neptune agreed not have any children. And if the gods were at all loyal to their partners then neither should any demigods at all.

"You know what we should do?" Percy asked the rest of the group.  
>"Lunch?" Bobby asked hopefully. Percy nodded enthusiastically. They kept walking, again getting lost each in their own thoughts. Which currently were all centered around where to find a food diner in the middle of nowhere.<p>

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><p><strong>AN: So there's a pretty short chapter 11. Sorry for not updating, but you can blame no time and writer's block. If anyone wants me to continue at all then please review.****  
>~Hedley is Amazing<strong>


	12. Suprises

Surprisingly to all three of them, finding a place to eat was not that hard. It was a small, rundown looking place named the Lyre. Percy only figured this out after studying the bold green letters for a time. Bobby and Gwen still had no trouble reading. In truth, most- if not all demigods in the Legion were excellent readers. He had previously assumed it was because Latin was the root of English. Apparently not as Reyna had explained to him somewhat bitterly. Then again Percy didn't know Latin which is only one of the many reasons he was different from the other demigods. Most councilors at SPQR were stubborn and refused to believe that he did not know. He was tired of them claiming that he only needed practice. Truth be told, he was tired of many things. Quests were one of them.

At many different times in a person's life, one might see or hear something that inclines them to think _all my troubles are disappearing. _Or something along the lines of that phrase. To Percy that particular thought had not occurred in quite a while. In fact, not in all the time since he'd woken up at the Wolf house. Previously, something had always been on his mind. But when he slid into the diner's booth, it was cleared of all worry. Well not all. A demigod could never be completely worry- free. But the main thing on his mind was just what was on the menu.

Bobby was feeling much the same way as Percy, yet somehow more alert. He tried to stay focused but all his resolve fell away when he saw the waitress. She wore black clothes with an aura of darkness surrounding her. The boys were oblivious to this but Gwen saw that something was not right.

"Hello, and welcome to the Lyre. My name is Nosos and I will be your waitress tonight." She smiled a tight lip smile, as if maybe she was afraid to show her teeth. _Perhaps they were crooked and she was embarrassed of self conscious. _Bobby thought, reminding himself how women were. So many of them tried to be evasive or mysterious but on none of them it worked well enough as it did on her.

As she handed them the menus she flashed Gwen a dirty look behind her sunglasses. _She probably just has a problem with the lights in this place. _Bobby again tried to reassure himself. This still didn't make sense since there was hardly any light in here at all. Maybe to keep the romantic dinner feel? No. This place could never be seen in that way. It resembled a cave more than anything.

While both Percy and Bobby shook this off despite their better thinking, Gwen couldn't. When she thought the waitress went away to another table. Those tables that were actually contributing to the entirely empty place. She needed to warn the guys and they needed to ditch this place.

"Don't you think it's weird that this whole diner appears in the middle of nowhere? Ad that Nosos... I heard her name-" Gwen was interrupted by that very waitress. _Speak of the devil and she shall appear._

"Sweetie, look. If you don't want to be here. Leave the boys to us. Or you can meet the manager now." Nosos hissed between clenched teeth her grayish face tightening in anger. Gwen sank back down after hearing this and seeing the annoyed look on both her partners' faces. Still she nodded at Nosos, telling her to bring the manager out. If it was a monster, they'd fight. If not, complain about bad service.

Percy fingered his pen and nudged Bobby who was seated beside him. "You think we should leave?"

"Naw. We might as well stay, I mean who cares 'bout what happens next..." There was something in Bobby's trance-like voice that made Percy agree with him. Gwen just got even more worried about the upcoming fight. _Who says there has to be a fight_? That same soothing voice spoke to her as if trying to lull her into a trance. She fought hard and decided that if her friends wouldn't leave her, she'd stay as well.

Percy's mouth dropped open. And when Bobby saw the beautiful lady walk in, his own jaw followed suit. She was wearing a beautiful dress, traditional Greek style. The way Percy could tell was that it went off one shoulder and flowed to the floor. Her hair was in elegant curls and well teenage boys will be themselves. So both he and Bobby noticed the other attractive assets of her looks.

She was to say the least, the most beautiful girl he ever remembered seeing. _At least in reality._ He imagined himself saying to the always gorgeous Annabeth to console her jealousy. He still saw her face, and like before it was glaring at him disapprovingly.

"Is this young lady causing you any trouble, gentlemen?" Even the lady's melodic voice lured them both in.

"Yes!" Bobby burst out without thinking of the consequences.

"Shall we dispo- err relocate her seat elsewhere then?" Without waiting for an answer, she snapped her fingers and yet another waitress came to her out of the darkness. Through Gwen's own rage she thought that whatever it is that these _demons _were... They knew how to shadow travel.

The servant that appeared, introduced herself as Anaplekte. "And as for you Miss. Wilson," she said gesturing to Gwen. "You will sit with me over here." Gwendolyn let herself be towed away, frantically thinking that if she played along... Maybe Percy and Bobby would snap out of it. Or not...

The beautiful woman sat across from Percy who stood and slid out of the booth. _Yes!_ _He's come to his senses! _Gwen had thought wrong. The son of Neptune had only moved to sit beside the diner's 'manager' much to Bobby's jealousy. She then put her hand on his chest laughing loudly.

Her breath hit the stunned boy's face. Stunned because it did not smell like perfume as he had expected. It smelled rather bad, of blood and- snake? Bobby squeezed in between them only making the woman smile wider. "Two oh so handsome boys! Who to choose first? How about you, son of _Poseidon?_"

Said boy just shrank slightly from all the memories that that name brought him. And the fact that this woman had said it... He wasn't crazy because he knew the Greek names. Others did too. This was what his somewhat logical side was thinking. Bobby's though was not doing it's duty.

He was completely enveloped in a sense of lust that was more than he had ever felt for anyone. Even Reyna. But she was flirting with Percy- his supposed friend. It made him angry, that no matter where that boy went he had girls falling for him. He might even have a girlfriend already! While Bobby was forever single, shunned by all women. Thoughtlessly his hand twitched to his sword. If he beat Percy then either way he would get the girl. If he died, she would be left with him or she would be so honored that he chose to fight over her that...

When she continued talking Bobby was again swept out of his thoughts and into her eyes. "My name is Lamia, Perseus. My grandfather is Poseidon and some say I was even more beautiful than Aphrodite herself. Do you think that?" She held Percy's chin and he slowly nodded without thinking.

"Good, and what about you?" She turned to Bobby who did the same as Percy- nodded. Lamia continued, satisfied that both boys wanted her. No matter how out of practice she was, men will be men.

"Hera cursed me. Much the same as what she did to you. Though I think mine is a tad bit more extreme than just losing your memories." She told Percy individually as if they were the only ones in the room.

"H-how do you know that?" He stammered still oblivious to the myth Lamia was from.

"I know everything! In later years, many compared me to Baba-Yaga. I know information crucial to the hero's-" She touched Percy's lips as she pressed herself at him. "-quest. Without me you will fail. Just as the gods will for what they have done to me."

Bobby at this point could hardly take her ignoring him any further. "Uh, what exactly did they do to you?"

"They made me- into a monster! Similar to Medusa really. Once a beautiful maiden and all because of one teensy affair with a certain god..."

"You dated your grandfather?" Bobby said confused. He knew that everyone was related one way or the other. but dating your grandfather? That's screwed, even by mythology's standards.

"No you insolent child! Zeus!" She said in absolute outrage and then in a true bipolar fashion kissed Percy's forehead. To Bobby that was the last straw. He would attack now. But not the monster- Percy. The boy pushed away Lamia and smirked as if to say _'Bring it._'

The lady- or whatever she was- cackled in delight. "Now this is how it should be. Two empires constantly fighting, dueling to the death. Keres, demons of the battlefield come to me!"

All the waitresses left and started howling with laughter. As all this happened, Gwen could only look on in horror. Damn both teenagers for falling for such a stupid trap. She watched, fear driving her to stay still. Or maybe her own terrifying feeling that she was enjoying this. Percy was obviously an outsider at camp. Why shouldn't he die? _NO! Don't think like that!_ But she already was.

A bead of sweat dripped into Bobby's eye when Percy dropped his sword. His eyes told Bobby to stop and surprisingly he listened. Complying with a quick sorry. Percy just grunted in retuen. He was too busy to notice the figure looming behind him. It was a reptilian creature with a human upper body.

"Lamia. Tenebrae." Gwen whispered, slowly starting to realize what was actually happening.

"Yes girl. Of course, I usually feed on the blood of young men. Handsome..." She said glancing at Percy. "...young men."

"But killing you counts as killing a child which is my specialty. After all the Keres can have all the leftovers. They do feed after wounded soldiers on a battlefield. But dying girl in a cafe- good enough."

"Beggars can't be choosers." Nosos hissed as she stripped herself of her robe. In doing so, her brethren followed suit all revealing leathery wings. They were part humanoid female, part bat. Their faces that were previously covered by a hood and shadows were pug-nosed and furry. The reason Nosos had worn sunglasses was to hide bulging eyes and had only smiled with tight lips to avoid revealing her fangs. Matted gray fur and piecemeal armor covered their bodies. They had shriveled arms with claws for hands and stubby bowed legs, all that had been hidden by the gray robe. Bobby couldn't help but think they'd have looked funny minus the murderous glow in their eyes.

Percy was already engaged into fighting with Lamia, Bobby with a Ker. So Gwen busied herself with the one who had shown her a new seat. Ker. The serpent-like monster kept talking with Percy as if they were the best of friends.

"So after my affair with Zeus, Hera forced me to kill my own children. She also made me enjoy the taste of the flesh so much that she made me join with the empousas. With the longing for human flesh, preferably men because of my beauty. And children because of jealousy for other mothers."

"Oh really? That's actually quite interesting. So what did you say about knowing something vital to my quest."

"Well, that's easy Perseus. You are going in the right direction right up to Vancouver. Yes Canada, while the other three- dear Jason- Anyway they went to Quebec- on the other side of the country. And since you and the son of Jupiter are opposites... Doesn't that make sense?"

Percy grinned, what he remembered of Lamia's story was coming back now. Known for her blood thirsty qualities, gluttony but most of all- stupidity. It had worked out in his favor.

"Thanks for the tip. Now I'm going to cut you out of the equation, you old bag." Percy laughed again, shamelessly quoting a famous comedian from his hit movie. Slicing through her neck with his sword, he quickly helped the others kill all the demons. Just as Lamia started to reform, he started to run. Dragging Bobby and Gwen out with him and kicking open the doors of the Lyre- they had won.

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><p><strong>AN: Hey, it's me again. One day later with an update! Anyway this is one of my favorite chapters that I wrote. There may be mistakes but I'm tired. So if anyone notices any, review and I'll brush up on them tomorrow- er rather later today. Hope you all caught the Get Him To The Greek quote. LOVE THAT MOVIE! **  
><strong>~Hedley is Amazing :D<strong>

**Edit: July 11. I changed the Keres' description because Percy had already described them in the demigod files. So I changed a few words around here, along with chapter 10 (for Geryon).  
><strong>


	13. Luck

As they were as far away from the Lyre as their still hungry bodies could take them, the outraged calls of the Keres could still be heard. They were not a species that fought demigods themselves. In fact, they live off the remains of wounded and dying soldiers. Mortal and demigod alike. In a sense, they are quite similar to vultures.

So while they were screaming, Lamia was dead via Percy's sword Riptide. And of course her own stupidity. It was true, she had made both Bobby and Percy want her. But showing her true colors by turning into a half snake lady was kind of a turn off for both boys. Even if her upper body was still beautiful, her lower half was too similar to a Drakena's for anyone's liking.

But the main thing replaying in Percy's head was that hopefully nothing would follow them until Lamia reformed. A with a bit of luck that would not happen for a while. But who knew if their luck would hold up. And yes, they were lucky. That she was stupid and that her minions were nothing worse than daughters of Nyx. True, they were pretty terrible but on a demigod's scale... No more than about a 6 out 10. That's being generous seeing as how, they had gnashing teeth and sharp claws. Ones they only used after their prey was dying. And because of this and Lamia's attractiveness the demigods were also very lucky that Gwen was there.

She did not fall for the Lyre's antics at all. In fact, if she had thought about it any more at the beginning... She would have realized what a weird name and overall theme the restaurant had. The name had obviously referred to the commonly known as Lyre snake. The interior designed to look as much as a cave as possible. Honestly, would any human find that attractive in the slightest?

Maybe, if they were absolutely desperate like the trio had been. They were still hungry, but again found some luck. While they had run blindly in a random direction, they seemed to have gotten away from the beachfront. And into downtown Seattle.

"Maybe we can find a grocery store." Percy suggested, breaking the silence that had bestowed the quest. He knew that Gwen would not for she still looked angry about the whole Lamia thing. He also knew that Bobby was still pissed at him over whatever that same demon had made him think.

No one replying to Percy just added onto the awkward silence that they were all feeling. _Great just great. _None other but the quest leader thought in true sarcastic fashion. His mind continued to try to unravel all that the Lamia had said.

Baba-Yaga. That was not Greek nor Roman. Russian maybe? No matter because Percy did not remember either way. Lamia had said that they were similar. Both were sought out in quests because they had excellent advice. _Vital to the quest. _She had said that they were to meet Ixion in Vancouver.

What he knew of geography- which was not a lot- told him that this was in Canada. A couple of miles past the border perhaps? Truth be told, he had no idea of any sort of geography. Something tells him that he wouldn't be a straight A student. Or wasn't- if he actually has went to school.

The thing that confused him the most of what Lamia had said was what she said about Jason. It had to be _the_ Jason. Not the one with the Golden Fleece. No. She was talking about SPQR's Jason. Who was apparently some sort of living legend at the camp. He had been into so many of the quests, everyone knew about him.

Reyna had compared Percy to him on many occasions. She praised them both saying things like _brave _and _powerful._ Then she had also said something about opposites, that confused Percy just as much as much as when Lamia had spoken. _This is how it should be. Two great empires fighting. _Percy doubted that anyone could get more confused than him.

Gwen was basically thinking along the same lines as Percy about their luck. And that she was still very angry at them. So far, there had mostly been small attacks. By now, she doubted that this quest was going to be just about finding and killing Ixion for Juno.

Lamia had hinted at it when she talked about the two great empires. Too bad Gwen had noticed, only Percy had. And so far it seems he was going to keep it to himself. Gwen snuck a quick glance at the boy in question only to find him looking at her. His eyes seemed lost, confused and longing for- something...

She did not know, nor was she sure she wanted to. What if he remembered everything in the middle of the quest? And he wasn't who they thought he was? What if he was the enemy? Would Gwen care? Yes, yes she would. No matter how much fondness she had for the son of Neptune, she would not display all of Rome for a possible traitor. Well, that's what she told herself anyways.

Bobby was telling himself some similar things. Well maybe not so similar other than wondering. He thought about everything that had happened in his life so far. Mercury, his father falling in love with Adara- his mother. Then after seeing he had a son, leaving his mother alone and heartbroken. Even more so when she realized her young boy was a demigod. She realized that she had to give him up at the Wolf House. He sends her letters sometimes but had overall lost contact with any of his family members. Besides various cousins and half-siblings.

Then he had to fall for virtually every girl he ever saw. Absentmindedly he touched his tattoo with caduceus and 11 bars running through it. He wondered if anyone else had any similar troubles. It was quite likely but he hadn't found anyone like that.

Meanwhile Percy couldn't take the silence anymore. Blame his ADHD, but he just couldn't.  
>"Sorry." He blurted out causing Gwen to turn around, one eyebrow raised. While Bobby just looked on in the distance just behind him. but not quite meeting his eyes. So Percy naturally just continued. "I really screwed up and-" Bobby cut him off.<p>

"Yeah, well so did I." And he did, he knew he did. He can't go fighting Percy when they had to work together. That was what was vitally important to their quest. That's the most important thing they got out of their encounter with Lamia.

But still he knew that there was something big that Juno was keeping from them. Like why had she appeared to them as Hera- their Greek form? And why had Lamia not adapted to the Roman names of the gods. The correct names? _Too many questions. Focus on the present. _So when he re focused on right now he saw Gwen giving Percy a hug. It made his bitterness come up to the surface. But he pushed it down again.

"Thanks, I needed that." She was saying with a grateful smile. Brushing her blonde bangs away from her eyes so she could see the ground in front of her. She didn't want to slip on the ice, but of course she had . And Percy had caught her resulting in him receiving a hug she hugged him, ignoring the warning look in his eye. He had had enough romance and girls for one day. What with his niece (or cousin?) hitting on him. Then naturally deciding she was in a bloodthirsty mood and tried to kill him and his friends.

So just like that, the group had made up. Well maybe it wasn't that easy but they all knew they couldn't rely on their luck only on each other. But nobody knew that better than Percy as he looked up at the grocery store in front of them in horror. Reading it (somewhat quickly) he realized that their luck must have wore out. _Napa Bargain Mart. _

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><p><strong>AN: Well there you go. Hope this explains the last chapter a bit better in case anyone was confused. So do you think hoping to get 70 reviews by the next time I update is too high? Well I hope it isn't... So R&R!**  
><strong>~Hedley is Amazing :D<strong>


	14. Irony

Percy had backed away slowly immediately re-causing the tense atmosphere yet again. _Napa Bargain Mart. _Really? The Fates must have been currently out of ideas of how torture him. So they decided to strike up some repetition and a bit of humor in the slight irony. To them it was probably a kick to see him like this. _Do the old hags even laugh? Or just knit some electric blue yarn? _Sighing as he saw some weird goat-man eating tin cans he couldn't help the sarcasm.

"Great just great..." He muttered to himself which caused Gwen to worry slightly. Hazel was no longer with her to tell her of her thoughts that Percy might be crazy... But the more the boy in question changed his feelings so abruptly she had started to doubt it less. He had been well- not quite laughing- but almost happy or at least satisfied. Now he seemed tense, almost scared. No. She was pretty sure that looked like defiance. At who? He couldn't afford to make any of the higher up (like the gods, or the Titans) dislike him.

What if Mars hated him? He would not be able to fight well then. She reasoned to herself trying to console her own worry. And what about Minerva? The goddess of wisdom would NOT make a good enemy to anyone. She would plan out a painful death, never making stupid rash decisions like the god of war would. No, Gwen had never met Dakota's father personally, but she honestly didn't like what she was hearing. Pluto would be terrible for someone to have as a nemesis. He would never cease his revenge, seeing as how if he did loathe someone that much- he could just throw them into Tartarus. That being simple for him since he was the ruler of the Underworld and has all three Furies under his command.

It seems to her that he already had made an enemy. Juno. Why else would she plop him out of wherever the Hell (or Pluto) he was before... And bring him to SPQR. Not to mention erase his memories! And then Jason disappearing only three months before leaving an even more confused Reyna in his wake... It couldn't just be a coincidence. No, no matter how much the goddess despised Percy she would not waste her time like that. She would simply leave him to the Fates or the hands of another angry god. Perhaps her husband Jupiter? He hadn't been too happy to earn new nephews in the myths.

Then again, any god could ruin someone's life. Or quite simply end it. Even her own mother, or maybe even Venus. It would really suck to have bad relationships your entire life. Or worse, having you fall for every single person you crossed. Not that Gwen had any experience but she knew Bobby did. And of course she felt sorry for him but she knew he didn't appreciate the pity. So she tried to put it out of her mind for the moment and figure out what had Percy looking so wired.

He had begun to speak to Bobby to tell him about his journey to SPQR. He had to explain why he was looking at the seemingly normal Napa Bargain Mart so oddly when he realized the other person around him had zoned out again. There were some bustling customers rushing about to their cars. He couldn't tell any of them what he was about to explain. They would look at him like he was crazy, same as Gwen actually had before she went into her reverie. The mortals were still looking at the teenagers, some in shock others in disgust.

_Can't blame them. We look homeless. Poor, lucky mortals that... _Bobby went on in his thoughts thinking of the normal people who's lives were so... very simple. Yes, Bobby had been about to say something young children should not hear. For he had quite a lot of colorful language that he used frequently. Not any impressive words that children of Minerva would approve of. Though they all used time and time again, through all the wars they were burdened with. Especially Latin. How Bobby loved to swear in Latin, to watch the stupid humans stare at him in wonder.

Then again Percy did that too with his only understanding some words. Some of those including the awkward phrase 'eat my pants' which Percy had said to him once after a spar. Following his outburst was a moment of silence then laughter. From both boys and everyone in the pavilion. The Legion could always use a tad more laughter but Jason was strict under Lupa's rule.

Just when Percy was done explaining and Bobby had finished his long spiel of thoughts, Gwen seemed to come back down to Earth. But luckily, for the sake of Percy's voice- and Bobby's ears Gwen had heard the important parts. "Well, I hope you know the monsters are far behind us by now." She said trying to reassure the still frantic looking Percy.

"Are you kidding me? We just left some creepy bloodthirsty..." Percy stopped, contemplating what to call Lamia.  
>"...thing and her minions. And that woman that melted into the seats-"<p>

"What are you even saying?" Gwen said wondering if the burden of needing to find Ixion was too much for him and he snapped. As far as she and Bobby knew, nothing like that had happened to anyone. She looked at Percy with her soon to be signature _Are you high? _look. He, however looked ashamed.

"Sorry, I ah _forgot _to tell you about the cow lady." Bobby started laughing just as he had at Percy's insult a couple days ago back at SPQR. When Percy kept his serious expression he stopped.

"Oh you mean the chick on the train?" He nodded and told them about Io. Bobby's face showed no recognition just as Percy's had when he heard the name. Gwen however looked enraged and moved farther away from the store even though they had already slowly drifted from the front of it. When she spoke she was quite close to yelling. She didn't completely manage to hide all emotion from her voice...

"You didn't tell me?" Percy had never seen Gwen so close throwing a fit and he must admit he flinched slightly at her angry face. It was just about an inch away from his own and as red as one of her Mom's cherry red tomatoes.

Scuffing his shoes on the black pavement he said something like, "Uh huh." Meanwhile he was thinking that as long as he lived to never piss off a daughter of Demeter again. Or Ceres, it didn't matter because he actually might not survive that long. Seeing as how said girl is currently reaching for her knife subconsciously. Oh and the fact that he was on a dangerous demigod mission.

Kind of funny that the first part of his problems scared him more than the second part. Especially when the usually level-headed girl continued. "How much else have you been hiding from us?" Even Bobby's (who was trying hard to stay out of this) ears perked up at this. This resulting in him looking like a mischievous elf. It painfully reminded Percy of the curly-haired twins- again and shaving cream.

"No," he lied but he had hesitated for too long. That random memory had also earned him a throbbing headache. That, as anyone who has experienced it knows- is not fun. Nor did it help his situation in the slightest. Gwen took a deep breath to calm herself down. And could anyone guess what happens next?

He saw her yet again. But this time it was in Gwen's fuming face. Her hair got a tad bit lighter. More like honey, instead of straw. Her eyes were still intimidating but were now an intense, yet beautiful stormy grey. Her lips were pulled into a scowl, face fuming. And then Annabeth spoke in his mind- again naturally when he most needed focus. But what she said only slightly matched her expression. _Your head is full of kelp.  
><em>

All this just caused more pain in his head and confusion. And then a slight annoyed feeling when Gwen slapped him. Though that last bit helped him come back to his senses to Gwen yelling at him- a second before he came out of his haze he had to remind himself that Annabeth wasn't really here. Just Gwen...

"Sorry what?" Percy said rudely causing Bobby to just stare at him as if saying _what the hell? _Oh, so now he was getting into it now too. Gwen glared up at Percy since he was a good couple of feet taller than her.

"I said, that really isn't good that you met Io." Realizing for the first time he actually should have said something about it, he backed down.

"Io's a pretty minor... being in mythology. But she along with many other women had an affair with Jupiter. Long story short, when Juno was onto them... Mostly due to Argus, her watchful servant. So Jupiter turned Io into a heifer- a young cow- to avoid further suspicion. He then quite stupidly let her loose and then Juno- of course, sought revenge. She sent a gadfly after Io who then fled to Egypt with her relative Belus. Who-"

She took a deep breath while both Bobby and Percy now knew why she smelt like cows. "Is the father of Lamia in some myths. So she must be helping Ixion."

Percy just sat there before asking something irrelevant. "How do you know so much' bout myths?" He asked only half interested by now. He somehow knew by now, that everything there were going to encounter on this quest wasn't going to be random. Bobby however, seemed to be in a better mood.

"She likes to know her livestock." He winked at Gwen he scowled while Percy smirked. Just like that, they were back to how there were about 10 minutes ago. Maybe they just really needed to follow Rachel's advice. Maybe then the quest wouldn't completely fail even if Ixion did manage to get killed.

"Haha, very funny. Now listen. What did she tell you?" She said turning to Percy and completely wiping the smirk off his face.

"_Having any weird dreams lately? A quest will do that to you honey_. And then- _I'm Io, remember me when the final battle arrives_."

"Not too bad." Bobby said only thinking about how wrong he was when he thought Percy had yet another girl falling for him.

"Yet, she lied when she said the train stops here. She wanted us to get off at that stop to find Lamia. And-" She turned her ferocious glare once more at a thoroughly confused Percy. "You never did tell us what that dream was about." Confession time.

"I dreamed of a girl from my past. And- Gaea, the dirt lady. Again." He stopped thinking that pretty much sums it up. Gwen though looked furious and a tad bit flustered while Bobby had borrowed his old expression he had when he fought Percy. Jealousy, maybe? But it was toned down now.

"So who's the girl?"Percy, ultimately avoided the question just straightened up from his leaning position against a tree and spoke.

"Well, I'm starved. Let's go." He brushed some stray dirt off and his already filthy jeans, adjusted his jacket slightly and fixed his beanie hat firmly on his head. He then strode off into the store, confidently expecting Bobby and Gwen to follow him. To his credit he was right, they did.

"So are you gonna steal food? Or beg?" Bobby asked, only minding the second option. It was below the standards he had set for himself to beg for food from mortals. He, as a child of Mercury- had no problem stealing.

Percy smirked his eyes glinting in the darkness. Embarrassingly, Gwen's only thought to that was that it was pretty hot. Then again he always was handsome, even now looking basically homeless. She also appreciated that no matter what the circumstances, he wouldn't stoop so low as to eat maybe a disgusting burrito or something.

"Yeah, well I'm used to it by now. It kinda beats eating stale gummi worms."

"Um, how would you know?"

"Well, I have you know. Along with a Jack in the Crack Burrito." He visibly shuddered and Gwen laughed realizing how ironic it was that she was that close when she that disgusting burrito. There was actually a lot of irony in a demigod's life. What would the chances be that he would end up at another location of the chain bargain marts? Probably pretty rare but still it happened.

Their luck from the beginning of the quest seemed to still hold. Because it seemed to be sample day at the Bargain Mart. Again. When Percy saw something that looked like crispy cheese n' wieners he winced. And hit Gwen's hand when she tried to get one. Her eyes asking for an explanation he just shook his head. He wasn't one to enjoy heart-felt confession times. Besides, they'd had enough of that by now.

And he just couldn't bring himself to mention Annabeth. He felt that it should be private at least 'till he realized what she meant to him. Sometimes, he just couldn't help feeling bitter. It was all Juno's fault and she just couldn't be a little straightforward. She had let him remember her only so he would have a motivation. Only so he knew he **had** to find her again. To go on the quest, and make friends. That's why he had made up with Gwen and Bobby so quickly. No he wasn't one to hold grudges but sometimes it was best to keep distance. In this case he couldn't.

And of course Juno (he was trying to force himself to speak in Roman terms) had to give him another hard blow. And a look at how ironic and terrible his life really was. One tiny flash of memory- a moment between them. On the beach- surely Venus would approve of that. _I'll never leave you. _His own voice in his head. And a dazzling smile from who he had said it to. And then... Blackness.

He swore again, in Ancient Greek. Like he did when he was at his worst. Neither Gwen nor Bobby noticed the frustration he was facing. They were too busy gorging their mouths and stuffing their pockets. When they were done, it was not decided by themselves. But by the security guy running towards them. Shoving his hood up, Bobby ran, his friends following his example.

Percy laughed slightly at the exhilaration he felt that he was not running for his life. Being in jail would hardly do anything except waste precious time. He had been through worse. Stopping when they were a few miles away from downtown, Percy high-fived Bobby. Laughing Gwen clapped him on the back.

"Too bad you never were a fugitive." Percy laughed loudly with both of them. For some reason he could only think of the irony of so much that Gwen had said today. They were interrupted by a bright light behind them- like when Juno had appeared to Percy. And a man's booming voice. "Well done my son."

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><p><strong>AN: Well there's one of my longest chappie yet for ya! And I got over 70 reviews :D So hopefully I can get close to 80 this chapter *winks* Love you all...**  
><strong>~Hedley is Amazing<strong>


	15. Conversations

Percy and Gwen looked on at the god looming before them in awe. Mostly because he was still currently 10 ft tall. Shrinking down to size, he still only had eyes for Bobby.

"You make a good thief. You truly are my son." Pride blazed in Mercury's face as he studied Bobby. He was wearing some kind of Ancient gladiator armor with winged sandals. He had a messenger bag over his shoulder. Gwen saw what looked suspiciously like a snake head sticking out of one of the pockets.

Percy did not know whether or not the others noticed that his face was flickering from stern and fatherly, young and playful. He didn't realize that the others were kneeling until Mercury looked at him expectantly. He quickly did the same.

Through all this time, Bobby was only able to choke out one word. "Father." Gwen followed his lead in deciding to speak. "Why- why are you here?"

"Well, I am the messenger of the gods. Am I not?" The teenagers straightened up and waited for him to speak again.

"Oh you want specifics? I am here to speak with Perseus, a message from Her- the Queen of the gods." He frowned as if he had made a slip-up.

"Yes, Lord Hermes?" Percy didn't realize his mistake until Bobby glared at him. Making a conscious effort to remember he spoke again. "Mercury."

The god just chuckled as his form started to shift. His armor was replaced with a pair of nylon running shorts and a New York City Marathon T-shirt. His former regal expression was gone. In it's place was a tired smile. His sandals were altered into winged Adidas running shoes, instead of a messenger bag he had a phone. With two green snakes intertwined together and wrapped around the device.

"Recognize me now, Percy Jackson?" Said teenager couldn't do anything for he felt like someone had just sent him a blow to the head. _Stainless steel thermos. George, Martha. Minotaur shaped vitamins. Luke. Yellow duffel bags. Hicocampi. Princess Andromeda. _

Percy's eyes widened. "I... Polyphemus and... the golden fleece." Closing his eyes again he shook his head. An action that both helped clear his head and answered the god's question. Then realized he had replied wrong.

"Yes, but-"

_"_Well you always were an interesting case. Juno tells me you haven't shown any more respect without your memories. And honestly I can't blame you." Mercury smoothly cut him off. Not willing to see the boy's rage after yet another person could not answer his questions. He always had some fondness for him. Besides that, he would understand better if he wasn't angry.

Thunder rumbled_. _"Sorry Father. Since, I'm not suppose to have contact with my son at all... Or any of you really, I'm in a rush." Bobby nodded his head slightly and Gwen glanced at Percy's tortured and distant expression.

"In truth, this message is for all of you. Gwendoyln, though you have been overthinking a lot- you are right in a way. This quest is not just to defeat Ixion as you must have all suspected. Pay attention to the little things, like the ground. And Percy..."

He straightened up slightly at the sound of his name. "You must tell your _friends- _Juno told me to emphasize that- all you know. About Gaea. No more secrets, or lying."

"Yes sir." Percy said obediently, knowing that he needed more of the memory he had lost.

"And son, one more thing. Do not be discouraged by the fact that people reject you. It's a part of life." He winked, smiled and left. The only thing heard was the dying sounds of George and Martha's whispering. _Good luck Percy. Bring us a rat Bobby. _

"Honestly what's with these Greek forms? You'd think a god would know better." Bobby did not sound angry, just confused and curious. Gwen ignored his question and turned to Percy.

"What do you mean the Golden fleece? That's been missing for years. Did you find it?" She sounded so much like Reyna always did when she heard of a new type of medicine. Excited and hopeful. It made Bobby's heart ache but he tried to heed his Father's advice.

"I- I think so. Something about a Tyson and... a goat in a wedding dress. My life's pretty screwed isn't it?" He looked up at Gwen, his eyes so sad and such a... smoldering shade of green, that her heart skipped a few beats. Throwing her arm over him she offered him a sample from her pocket. He declined and she told him not to worry. To get on with the quest so he'd find his memories.

"We need to figure out what Juno's message meant." He said, yet again feeling like the third wheel around them. Not like they were dating or anything. It seemed that Gwen was slowly coming to terms with the fact that they were not meant to be. That doesn't mean she liked him any less though.

"And you," she pointed to Percy fiercely with her free hand. "Need to stop moping."

"I know. And you guys know how the ground had trapped us earlier?" They both nodded so he continued. "Gwen was right. It was Gaea, the gorgons mentioned her. She is their patron or something?"

"So kind of like the second Titan War." Gwen got up and started pacing while Bobby stared hard at the ground. Wondering if it were going to spring up again and drown him.

"She has a grudge against the gods, for beating her children the Titans... So naturally it's her turn to take over. The final chapter." Finally realizing what was going to happen, she gasped. "We have to fight Gaea!"

Percy sprang up, just as he had when he first woke up at the outskirts at the Legion. "Now?"

"I... I don't think so. It would have to take a while for her to rise, and we would have heard of it sooner. But..."

Gwen continued thinking of all the things she could remember about the Gigantomachy. It wasn't too much but she knew that in order for Olympus to prevail, gods and heroes had to work together. That didn't sound too good since none of the gods had ever gotten too friendly with any of the demigods at SPQR.

Since the last war, they sent occasional messages and did more of the usual claiming. Sacrifices and prayers were usually responded to. Lately though, hardly any interactions have been made whatsoever. Only claiming. Other than that, nothing at all.

She highly doubted that another god would be sent down to give them directions to Vancouver. She thought of the one thing that no one had ever thought of before. At least not when you were demigods on a quest.

"Let's go use a computer." She said aloud proudly for she had thought up a solution. Percy, however gave her an expression that clearly said, _whaaaat?_

"You know one of those technological gadgety things. You must have heard of-"

"We know what they are." Bobby interrupted, for he too had worn the same emotion on his face as Percy had moments ago. Now it was just annoyance.

"Where are we supposed to get one. We can't exactly march over to Best Buy or a... a library. I mean come on." Percy said clearly stating what he thought of the idea.

"You have the best ideas Percy!" Gwen patted his hair causing Percy to duck.

"What do you mean?"

"We'll go to the library! Do I have to let my echo tell you again. Come on!" And with that Gwen dragged both boys back to where they had passed a community center. They followed her for they had no clue what else to do. Her last words did seem to echo around them causing Percy to get a chilling feeling up his back. and no not because of the wind. It was almost as if someone was there. Watching them. Repeating what they had said. Planning. And waiting. With one last rustle of the grass Percy had past the voice soon disappered. _Come on. Come on. Come on. _Yes, what was he waiting for. Or worse yet, what was awaiting them?

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><p><strong>AN: This chapter, and the last ones were mostly just fillers. It's only until they figure out what to do next. It's pretty short too because I have to research a lot of things. Anyway, thanks to you, I now have 81 reviews! :D By the way the next chapter is called Echo. If anyone can figure out why, judging by this last paragraph... You are amazing! :D  
><strong>


	16. Echo

When they walked into the community center, it was surprisingly empty. Only a few employees and some lone, dedicated, competitive swimmers. When Percy saw the pool, he felt a nagging urge to just dive in. He resisted because he had a feeling he was going to be needed soon for the quest. So all three of them kept walking until the library was looming in front of them. _Seattle Public Library._

"This is not the kick-ass sort of questing I'm used to." Percy announced as he was about to enter through the revolving doors_._

"Yeah, I've never been sightseeing on a quest." Bobby replied just to add to Gwen's annoyed status. Percy however couldn't help but think he has. _Arch. Elevator. Chihuahua. Park Ranger. _Then... _Hoover Dam. Rachel. Snack Bar._

He tried hard to ignore the images flowing through his head. He had to keep moving, distractions would make things worse_. _A shadow suddenly loomed over him. Since he was taller than both Bobby and Gwen he knew it wasn't them. Almost hesitantly he looked up to see an old, withering woman smiling.

"Hello children. I'm Endocia, the librarian." When she spoke, she wrapped her clock around herself. Her voice was hollow sounding and forced almost as if it was a recording_. _When Gwen uttered a supposedly polite hello, the lady continued talking.

"I'll be in the back if you need me, this room is a tad bit drafty. Anything you need to know, just ask. It gets awfully lonely when you haven't seen a living human being in so long. You know, in the old country I was said to have a beautiful voice while my dear love deserted me. For he was far too in love with himself. Sorry to distract you any more my darlings because- Oh, dear look at the time. I must go, or trust me. I will no longer be quite myself. "

The woman chatted on and on while Bobby could only stare at her and give her a fake smile. He could only assume she lived on a farm, since she hadn't seen people in so long. When at last she left, she pulled out some kind of harmonica and started playing beautifully. As she did Percy thought that it was quite odd how it seemed to be coming from all angles. As if not just her voice was a recording. Or perhaps she was right and the room was so big that the sounds just bounced around each other creating an echo.

"Well we never did ask where the computers were." Just as Bobby pointed it out, Percy had made his way over to a set of desk-tops. He sat down and clicked on internet. Typing into Google _how to get to Vancouver from Seattle,_ he clicked on a map and printed.

"Can you go get that Percy, I just need to check something." Nodding Percy went and jumped over the counter because the little door the librarians used was locked. While he got the map, he prayed that the talkative woman had hard hearing. When the printer was finished he dropped a quarter onto the desk thinking that that would be enough to cover the charge.

Gwen was quickly using Wikipedia to search up anything she could find on Ixion. All she did gather other than what Kaelyn- daughter of Minerva had told them was that the cloud's name was Nephele. Quickly clicking that she found out they had a son. Then she typed in Gaea. Reading it as fast as she could and trying to remember she hastily went and typed in giants- her sons. Somehow the site had auto- corrected it to echo. Finding it unimportant she went to exit the window.

"Wait." Bobby said looking over her shoulder. Percy had seen the same thing Bobby had and he leaned over Gwen. When he put his hand on hers to guide the mouse she stopped breathing for just a second. Then his hand was gone and the page had loaded to a picture of a nymph.

"Echo." Percy's one word sent both Gwen's and Bobby's hands into action. Bobby to unsheathe his sword, Gwen to type in the name Endocia. It came up as _Greek. Meaning: Unquestionable reputation. _

Suddenly a hand came up on both boys' shoulders. Gwen spun around in the desk chair and there stood the nymph Echo reformed into the librarian.

"I see you figured it out... smart. I am one of Hera- or as you Romans-" she gestured to Bobby and Gwen."-say, Juno's- many enemies. She has built up quite a few as you can see. Ixion, his son, Io, me, all of Jupiter's consorts. Oh and even demigods like- I'm sure you know her Perseus. A girl, what's her name? Annabeth Chase."

Percy staggered back into the computers in his shock. "You... you. Where is she!" Percy shouted as Echo just smiled then frowned yet again. Then her mouth began to move of not of her own will.

"_She. She. She."_ Her voice got quiet until it disappeared. "That is quite annoying. My new form promised by my patron has not yet settled with my soul. Quite ironic how I go to a library yet, there is supposed to be no talking. I'm quite the chatter-box." Smiling she kept on effectively distracting the heroes. Percy the most since he couldn't help but worry about Annabeth. Bad enough he couldn't protect her from her but she had made an immortal enemy? That was not good in the slightest.

"Bobby dear. Before you try to kill me and help fulfill Juno's wishes please know that- I understand your pain. You see I fell in love with Narcissus, only to find he was only ever going to love one person. Himself. I couldn't speak, only repeat his calls out to me. In the end I was rejected and he died. While I was slowly withering away, Pan was enraged that I had fallen for that dear boy. He sent shepherds to cut me to pieces and my patron Terra picked up the pieces. Now after centuries with the dead, I shall live again." Smiling she finished her rant and successfully distracted Bobby into thinking about love and Reyna.

Snapping her fingers when she decided that two distracted out of three was quite enough. One daughter of Ceres was not going to do much against herself and her own daughter. Opening her mouth she continued speaking to the demigods making sure her surprise had time to get here.

With one last word that Echo poured all her energy in to, she grew tired. And just in time her dear secret weapon Iynx appeared. As a bird of course. It flew over and perched on her shoulder much the same way a parrot would on a pirate.

"Meet my daughter. Now a bird, of course that was Juno's doing. All she did was make Jupiter fall in love with Io. You already met her, she's quite precious." Smirking one last time, Echo promptly lost her voice due to her old curse. Slowly the effect began to wear off Bobby ad Percy and they started to fight.

Echo herself was not a very good fighter but she knew people with the same goal in mind as her. The countless of centuries old woman poked her daughter, still perched on her shoulder. The beautiful bird that represented passion and love let out a long call.

As it echoed, Percy nudged Bobby. "What's it doing?"

"Calling... something." Percy gave Bobby a look that said _you're not helpful at all. _

"So. Run or fight?" Gwen asked.

"We can't keep running. We have to kill it." Percy gave such a sour expression when his words echoed that Gwen could only wish she had a camera.

"How?" Percy shrugged in answer to Bobby's question.

His sudden movement caused the bird to fly at him trying to peck out his eyes. Backing up into a shelf, he caused all the books to topple onto the floor. Fumbling for his sword, the bird completely ripped up his shirt. _Great. Just Great._ Percy finally managed to get out his sword but Gwen had already killed it. Since it was mortal and probably not a monster it would most likely stay dead.

Maybe Echo would to! But before Percy could decide to test out that theory, his old foes arrived. The gorgons. The nymph hid behind them, slowly watching and waiting. Of course that's the bird called, only where was Geryon? Was it possible that he was still dead?

Percy tried to engage the last threat (and probably the biggest one) into battle. Echo. She was probably the most dangerous since the way she distracted you was with fabulous and long stories about herself. Or and worst of all she echoed one's own deepest fears and doubts and related them to herself. All so it would be hard to kill her. Percy found out how hard it really was when he fought her. And- just his luck- she had seemed to have gained her voice back.

"Percy, why are you traveling with your enemies. It's come to a surprise to all that you have not killed each other yet. You're just a pawn in Hera's game and the only reason you want this quest is to get your memories back. We could do that for you. And you don't have to betray Annabeth if she's already dead." Percy closed his eyes trying to stop the magic her words had. Trying to stop the image of a bloody girl dying before him. _It's magic. She's charmspeaking_. His mind knew that but his eyes and heart just wouldn't process it.

"Run! Mortal police are coming!" Gwen called but it all seemed so far away. Add that to the fact that he hadn't slept in who knows how many hours, probably at least a day. Not to mention he was not all there- mentally. He felt someone breath on his neck just then. "Son of Poseidon. You are not where you should be. You know that right? You are Greek. Not Roman. Fight them and prove your worth."

Opening his eyes he nodded. He knew what he had to do. Percy charged at Echo, cleanly slicing off her head Her last expression was one of shock but her words were echoing. The others couldn't hear them, only Percy could. and he hated it. Grabbing his backpack and the map for Vancouver he booked it out the door. He couldn't wait any longer to leave that wretched library. He knew that his friends would follow him at the next chance they could. Which, coincidentally was only seconds after he himself had left the building.

He stopped for only a second until they caught up with him. Then they continued until Bobby literally crashed, exhausted on the snowy grass. Percy couldn't take it anymore either and collapsed a few feet later. Gwen plopped down next to the exhausted quest leader. He now- in vain- was trying to cover himself from the cold, slushy rain falling down in clumps. His shirt was after all in tatters. He honestly might as well take it off, it would hardly make a difference. But they were all just too tired to do anything but lay down and sleep. They weren't stupid enough to think they could avoid infamous demigod dreams.

Percy by now knew he wasn't ever completely at peace even in his sleep. he knew that he would hear the same words repeating- _echoing_ in his head all night. _You are Greek. Not Roman. _Greek.

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><p><strong>AN: So close to ninety reviews! :D Thanks to all of you. I hope who was in this chapter wasn't too predictable. Anyway, I expect to update tomorrow. So stay tuned!**  
><strong>~Hedley is Amazing (and the best band EVER!- look them up!)<strong>


	17. Questions

All three of them lay awake as the slush fell down from the still dark sky. Not a sound was heard, only Bobby humming some song he had heard with Reyna. Oh, and Percy's shifting on the uncomfortable ground... And Gwen tapping her fingers... And the trees swaying and dogs howling... OK, so it was not silent at all. They were right by a highway and music was occasionally heard from cars rushing by. Sighing, Percy gave up trying to sleep and sat up against the tree.

A second later, Bobby and Gwen followed his example. Percy was freezing so he had taken his shirt off and replaced it with another purple one from his bag. Gwen had made an obvious effort not to look but she still couldn't hide her blush. Percy then put on another layer of a blue sweater and tossed his old shirt in the woods.

"Perce?" Bobby asked the nickname sending a jolt through Percy.

"Mhm?" He said really not wanted to talk and add to the ruckus in the scene around him. But in the end he knew that was inevitable and they were sure to ask many, many questions.

"What did she mean you're not Roman? The Greeks-" This question annoyed Percy but not as much as the next statement would have if he had let Bobby continue.

"Faded? You know, I really doubt that." Percy blurted out causing Bobby to glare at the boy suspiciously. _Seriously? All we've been through and the boy continues to not trust? _Percy couldn't help but think as he quickly glanced at Gwen. She was staring at him too but with a more curious and open expression.

"I mean. They only fade if people don't believe in them. And obviously some people do." Percy said backtracking out of the previous hole he was about to dig himself into. Bobby's face turned softer, thoughtful.

"She called you a son of Poseidon." Gwen stated instead of what she was itching to ask. She needed to know who in Pluto's name Annabeth Chase was and why the boy had seemed so startled when the nymph had mentioned her.

When Percy just nodded, Bobby continued Gwen's train of thoughts. "So, who's the girl?"

"W-what?" Percy spluttered because that was exactly what he was thinking about. That and the whole Greek thing.

"Don't act stupid. _Perseus._" Bobby almost sneered and Percy half scowled before putting on his poker face.

Gwen followed up in Bobby's questioning. "That Annabeth girl. Is she the one who was in your dream?" Percy had almost forgotten that he had told his companions of that one particular dream that he'd had on the train a while back. Even so, he automatically denied it.

"No... no. No. I really don't know why she mentioned that random name. Must've thought wrong if she really thought I knew her." He was very slowly backing up and away from Gwen.

"Percy, stop." He ended his rant when she spoke. And continued to talk. "Just tell us." He took a deep breath.

"Oh my... We really better get going..." He left and almost walked straight into the middle of the highway if it weren't for Gwen's arm that stopped him.

"You lied to Lupa? All of us?" Gwen questioned incredulously. "I thought you didn't remember anything." She accused while Percy started to defend himself.

"No I didn't. I mean I don't."

"Tell me." Gwen demanded and something about her tone of voice made Percy stiffen.

"No." He said and this time it was with finality. Bobby actually shrank back a bit with this word. But then he realized what he had done and stood up tall again.

Gwen put a hand on Percy's shoulder in an attempt to shake him out of his anger. It helped for his expression softened just a fraction. And he answered. "I don't know who I am. All I remember is some girl... Annabeth. S- She lived in Frisco? I don't know and other than that just little fragments of memory. That _Juno-" _He emphasized then name proving the effort he used to not say Hera. "-teases me with. So no, before you ask, I am not a spy. Nor some solider sent from another camp in a peace mission."

The truth in Percy's words were evident because of the stentorian way he spoke them. It also made sense seeing as that Juno herself had gone to camp and spoke to everyone. They had begun walking. Well, Percy started and since Bobby couldn't stop him both he and Gwen followed him. Every so often Percy would glance at the map and make sure that they were going in the right direction. They were walking in a straight line, like follow the leader. When suddenly the leader (Percy) stopped.

"It's the Rockies!" He announced like a professional tour guide would, gesturing with his hand. Bobby stared in awe, since he's never been this far north and Gwen just frowned.

"You know, this could be like the Rhodope. In the myths." Upon seeing their blank expressions she continued. "The Western civilization moved, the Labyrinth and Olympus included... Who's to say the mountains and all who inhabited them aren't in the Rockies?"

"You're right." Percy said blinking away the image he got of Annabeth explaining the very same thing to him.

"But, refresh my memory. What are the Rhodope mountains?"Bobby said perfectly putting into words what Percy was thinking.

"Oh, and the Balkans. Some king and queen offended Jupiter and Juno. Who then turned them into mountains. And if what Echo said was true..."

"...then they would be out for revenge too." Percy finished completely believing the story. The main range of mountains in North America was after all the Rockies. And who knew if where they were know was safe. They were standing on Gaea's land about to venture into Juno's enemies' land as well. No where was safe.

"We shouldn't be here." Gwen scratched her arm nervously. "We should be traveling by air."

"Too bad Jason isn't here." Percy said sourly just before Bobby could say it reminiscently. Gwen stared at the son of Neptune before realizing what was literally staring them right in the face.

"You! Couldn't we travel on water using your powers?" She said thinking back to when Percy had almost drowned the camp by just barely holding a tidal wave back. Maybe he could use those same powers to help them cross a river.

"Well do you have a boat?" Percy asked while thinking that maybe, just maybe this may work. And that it might be faster than walking through forest to cross the border.

"Listen maybe..." Bobby started to say something optimistic but he was cut off by Percy.

"No you listen." Bobby thought he said this in an unnecessarily rude way when he realized what he actually meant. He stood there trying to figure out what he was supposed to hear when it hit him. A rushing, gurgling sound.

"That's the..." Gwen started in an awed, numb sort of way.

"Skagit River." Percy finished for her as they starting stumbling over themselves to reach the river. Huffing and out of breath they reached the mouth of it.

"Now what?"Bobby asked in his signature annoying way.

"Now you speak to me." Spoke a booming voice from the other side of the riverbank. The three fellow half-bloods whirled around and saw a centaur. _Chiron Archery. Advice. _Percy blinked away the images that Juno teased him with- yet again.

They came face to face a man dressed up in an expensive suit. But still add that with his hair and he looked as if he had just rolled out of bed.

"Are you Charon?" Percy said unintentionally, the words had just spilled out of his mouth. along with the memory of holding hands with... Annabeth.

"No, insolent child. I am Nessus, son of the great Ixion." _Shit. Another freaking enemy to fight? _Were Bobby's only thoughts as he started to draw his gladius.

"Oh no. Put that away. I am only here to help you along the river and warn you of its dangers. Though for a son of Poseidon on your side... Nothing will be too difficult." He smiled a huge, sort of insane smile. Percy just nodded, pretending to be grateful. After a few moments of unasked questioned answered he let them carry on into the river.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry I was gone for a few days. I was a bit busy, add that to writer's block and you don't really get updates. Anyway thanks for reviewing. Love ya! Oh and answer one question for me please. Do you think I should involve a giant like Polyphorion (or Polybotes) in Vancouver? Thanks!  
>~Hedley is Amazing<br>**


	18. Obvious

"Does this seem like a trap to you?" Bobby asked no one in particular. In all honesty what had just happened seemed utterly random and unnecessary. He had said something of river spirits, mountains wanting revenge. Or was it the giants that did? Bobby didn't really know much about this quest except that Gaea was after them. Even a goddess had said the same thing back a few days ago at camp.

"You know, I think they want us to get to Canada. I mean he was practically pressuring us to go, as fast as we can." Gwen stated the obvious while she was frantically trying to find out what was currently not obvious. How do all these people keep coming back. Was Pluto MIA or... What had Juno said of the doors of death? She couldn't remember. Percy however was slowly making his way closer and closer to the riverbank where Nessus had stood only a moment before.

"He's the son of Ixion, the person we are supposed to kill. Why would would he help us try to kill his father?" Percy questioned out loud, secretly wondering how in Neptune's name someone can have kids with a cloud. Unless it was a nymph...

"Unless they were absolutely sure they would lose." Gwen answered locking eyes with Percy.

"How can they be sure?" Bobby asked annoyed at how Gwen was starting to get over Percy more and more. She was like a sister to him. Why couldn't see that he was only going to break her heart?

"I-if the doors of Ha- Pluto's realm are opening then-"

"-they could never die." Gwen finished for Percy as she herself finally realized it. "All ths time I thought that the torturing methods of Tartarus are weakening. Or maybe some people did the burial rites wrong and thousands more strigoi would soon haunt the Earth."

"This is much worse than empousas, or vampire-zombie strigoi. All the people who hated the gods, they'll come back. And they have so many enemies." Bobby said using his first _aha! _moment.

Lowering his head Percy stared down at his shoes, while both quest members looked to him. The obvious leader. This is basically what it all came down to. But really he didn't know what do any more than they did. He didn't even know who he was for gods' sakes! How were they supposed to get through the river? Follow it? Bu the banks were muddy and it basically be like handing themselves over to Pluto. Because if they fell... If they were to swim, that would be suicide as well. If hypothermia didn't kill them, then drowning would do the trick.

But he was a son of Neptune. He knew that, just like he knew his name was Percy Jackson. Just like he knew his pen was a sword. Besides all of these things were backed up with facts. He had strangled that sea monster in Carquinez Strait. He had almost let loose a tidal wave over SPQR. All the monsters they had crossed seemed to know him. And know of what he'd done, even when he himself had no idea. And well, Anaklusmos (or Riptide as he know it translated to) uncapped into a lethal weapon.

_I'm rubbing off on you. _Her voice startled him and somehow he knew she was. He was actually almost thinking logically, not driven by anger or desperate needs. It was refreshing in a way to know that Gwen and Bobby trusted him even when he hardly trusted himself. It gave him back more of his own confidence. In his mind, he saw Juno smiling down at him, actually proud of what he had accomplished in these few short minutes. Her plan was working. Deep down, she had always known she chose her champions well.

"Well, for now we rest. Tomorrow we'll see if the ice is still frozen. If it is we walk on it, and pray it doesn't break." Gwen and Bobby nodded and once more obediently did the obvious thing. Take out their sleeping bags and settle down for the night. This time they would not have the energy to stay up like they had the last time. Murmuring a quick good night, Percy did the same as his _friends_ and set his head on his duffel bag. _Too bad it's not yellow. _He though thinking of Mercury and of screaming girls as he slowly drifted off into the lands of Morpheus.

* * *

><p>He dreamed of someone he was almost positive he had dreamed of before. Heracles, or( as he was in some circumstances more commonly known as) Hercules. Well, technically it was not all about that particular hero. In fact, Nessus- the centaur he had had the mild displeasure of meeting was in it.<p>

His death was featured in what had quickly shown itself to Percy as a nightmare. Hercules had killed the centaur, in return the centaur's blood had killed the hero years later. As Percy slowly began to realize how this happened and why the ferryman centaur would so obviously hate anything associated with the gods- his dream shifted.

He was standing in some sort of deep, dark pit that seemed to be really evil. For more obvious reasons than not. One reason being he was surrounded by famously 'dead' people. Or rather, monsters. Medea. Midas. Tantalus. The Minotaur. What frightened Percy- no terrified him and sent chills through him that he could feel on his sleeping body was a golden coffin. Actually, only a very small chunk of gold. How Percy knew it was part of a coffin- no idea.

The worst part of this scene came to him when he turned around, looking for a way out. Mud building up on a mound of amour. A voice spoke and he heard it in his brain like he did when Lupa spoke. It was soft, melodic. It was Gaea.

"I hope you enjoyed my little add in to this dream Perseus. As my failure of a son said before me, I always repay my debts. Since you are letting yourself be lead so easily into your demise."

"What?" Percy tried to choke out but dirt clogged up his throat. He could feel the full effect in this, as if it was actually happening.

An evil laugh boomed through the ground, temporarily causing silence in Tartarus. "You don't see what is happening? You don't feel the ground stirring? Of course you do, you are not entirely dense are you boy? Even now I am not truly awake... Until I am my son will do my will. He will not fail like the other did before a defenseless son of Jupiter."

Percy's head turned not of his own will and he saw the mound again. He couldn't speak but he saw pages in his head. _The Earthborn. _Annabeth teaching him, always slightly frustrated. Since Percy was still choking on dirt, Gaea spoke again.

"I will rise, and the gods will fall for all the miserable things they have done! And you too, will suffer." Percy at that same second, sat completely upright under the trees. Both Gwen and Bobby were sleeping and he had no ways to shake off the dream. It was real. Of course it was. Now he knew what Nessus was. But he had been in Tartarus? Or at least, his dream self had. Another enemy, a son of Gaea? He just never got a break did he?

_No, a break would be boring. Wouldn't it? _Annabeth spoke in his head and closing his eyes he saw her, again. But then he saw the dirt woman. Why did she have to keep reappearing? He'd almost rather have Juno on his case all day long. Setting out a breakfast for himself, he wondered the little things that Gaea had spoken about. The simpler things- some could say.

Son of Jupiter, where had he heard that before? Recently? Jason. What about him fighting some other giant? He was alive? Percy vowed that if he ever came back, he would inform Reyna of this and make some of her insecurity about his state cease. The son of Neptune sat by the river, thinking. Something he'd been doing a lot of lately. Something he had a feeling he hadn't done that much of before.

Everything seemed so obvious, on the tip of his tongue. But he just couldn't seem to place his finger on it... So obvious, but hidden. Unknown. Just like his entire past and possibly even his future.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Not too much action this chapter. But we're getting close to the final showdown! And then the easiest part of this story, other than the beginning, the aftermath! So thanks SO much to everyone because I finally got 100 reviews. :D And has anyone else watched the movie Agora? I have to write some kind of one shot about it...**

**~Hedley is Amazing (how many of you looked them up? No one? *sighs* I tried)**


	19. Blind

Gwen lay in the darkness, still drowsy from her blurry dreams. She watched Percy stare at his hands as he slowly twiddled his thumbs. She had been awake when he jumped up and put a hand to his throat. He glanced at her and Bobby then sat back down, seemingly satisfied. So concluding that she was asleep, he slowly starting packing up their bags.

"Are we going?" Her soft voice was a contrast to the loud gurgling waves. Still Percy heard it and uncapped Riptide before realizing it was her.

"Oh gods, sorry bout that." He said immediately lowering his sword then proceeding to cap it. For the first time Gwen really noticed or cared that it was a weird bronze color. Her own was Imperial Gold, just like all the other people at the Legion.

"Don't mention it, better safe than sorry. Eh?" Percy laughed getting into the spirit of the morning. Bobby shifted in his sleep and then completely flipped over on his stomach.

"So ah... are we ready to go?" Gwen asked again and Percy shrugged.

"Oh yeah! I'm psyched." Percy said grinning and making Gwen giggle. It seems that's he was being a tad bit over cheerful that morning, but she decided not to bother him right then. The most important task at hand was to wake the son of Mercury. As Gwen was trying to figure out how exactly to do that, Percy kicked him in the side.

"Dude, wake up." Bobby groaned, rolled over, then blinked against the harsh light.

"Mhm?" He mumbled as he looked up. Seeing Percy lugging his bag he sprang up after wiping the sleep out of his eyes. "Ready!"

They walked back to the riverbank where the sound was honestly getting deafening. "OK so..." Bobby just stopped talking and watched his question get answered as Percy walked strode toward the stable part of the river.

"This isn't safe." Gwen whispered. She always had been the cautious one when it came to mortal type things.

"We fight dozens of monsters and all you can think that walking along an icy river isn't safe?" Bobby questioned incredulously while Percy reacted a bit differently.

"Well in terms of pain, drowning isn't that bad of a way to die." He said sort of thoughtful, wondering if it was possible that he could drown. _Once. Choking. Spluttering. Coughing. Three billion other places he's rather swim. _Blinking away the slight remembrance of a cord (_remember your lifeline dummy!), _he listened to Bobby's response.

"Are you kidding me? It's long, painful and there's absolutely no honor involved!"

"Actually, if you dive in to save some-" Percy continued and Gwen just drowned them out.

Her dream had bothered her greatly and had been the cause of her waking before dawn. It had been mostly just Gaea, but the worst part was that some of her friends that had died from the Titan War... They had been there. There being the Underworld. True, they weren't any of her really close friends, but... What almost every monster they had faced had said was something about doors of death. Opening? That's never good, considering the great prophecy's last line went something like that. _And foes bear arms at the doors of death. _Foes... Subconsciously her thoughts flitted to Percy.

She internally slapped herself. Why would Percy be an enemy? She trusted him. And as she thought that she knew that it was true. She would put her life in this boy's hands any day and expect to live through it. He had saved her and Bobby both. Then again she and Mercury's boy had done a far bit of saving him. Friendship does go two ways after all.

Two ways. _What else goes two ways?_ She asked herself randomly hardly knowing why. _An exchange. _Some part of her mind whispered back. She stopped dead in her tracks. The boys hardly noticed, when they did they slowed only slightly before coming to a full stop.

As has been frequently mentioned on many different occasions, Gwen was a child of Ceres. She had to work hard to get things right. And even then things weren't perfect. And that was her self-proclaimed fatal flaw. Perfectionism. But what the answer came so clearly... well, it shocked her to say the least. She turned to the guys leaning over her partly in concern, partly in annoyance. She had eyes for only one face, the one she would never look at without confusion for a while.

"Jason and you."Her eyes darted to the black-haired hero's face. His eyebrow's were scrunched up in confusion and when he realized he had been unconsciously leaning in, he took a step back. Did anyone still blame him for their beloved leaders absence?

"What do you mean?"

"Where you're from. That's where Jason is." When she said it aloud and saw both boys' confused faces she realized she had to make herself clear. "Juno mentioned an exchange didn't she?"

"No." Percy said his eyes narrowing slightly now.

"Oh well, I had a dream. In it she did. And she said you were at one end of it. But an exchange goes two ways right? So Jason could be at the other end of it. Where you come from."

"You can't just assume... I-" Percy started desperately trying to block out the feeling that Gwen was right. But that didn't help him figure out where he was from. Only that it was definitely different from SPQR. How much? No idea.

"Percy, listen. Forget I said anything. Just keep walking." Nodding obediently (which was very out of character for him) he marched off faster, trailing a bit ahead. Bobby nudged Gwen and gave her a look like _Do you know more? _Gwen shook her head for that was the truth.

The sound of the river only seemed to be getting louder and louder. Was that a sign the ice was breaking? Bobby had no idea."Are we there yet?" Bobby asked and Percy turned from the front to give him a glare that said_ obviously not._

So they continued in silence like so many other times on the same quest. Percy seemed far from his joking self that morning. Gwen's declaration had spoiled the mood and distracted him. So naturally her ADHD spoke for her when she asked him...

"Did you dream of Annabeth again?"

"N-no." He spluttered out. Gwen had to admit Percy was quite eloquent. Her said that she expected a bigger explanation. That speaks for Bobby too.

"OK, so you know how Gaea's rising or something? Well ah... so are her children."

"_What_!" This exclamation came from Bobby. "Where were you in your dream?" If he was in Vancouver then maybe they would get a clearer sense of where they were actually going.

"Tarturus." Percy answered evenly while quickening his pace forcing Bobby to half-jog to keep up.

"Is something like that in Vancouver?" Gwen readjusted her backpack loops randomly. "Juno must have set us up."

The son of Neptune just nodded, then he heard a sound that utterly terrified him. _CRACK! _Ice breaking. When they turned uselessly, it was just as if it was one of those cheesy sci-fi movies like _The Day After Tomorrow_. It was only a small hole a few feet back away from where they were standing. Still, it could spread... Percy inched forward slowly trying to ignore it

"When are we gonna-" but before the complaint could fully escape Bobby's mouth, he ran into Percy. Who had frozen. "Wha-"

"Shh. Don't you see it?" Percy asked pointing but all Bobby could see was some kind of hill blocking whatever he was supposed to see. But that was it. Bobby was about to say _so? _Then he realized the problem. The earth goddess was after them. It would not be smart to be that vulnerable. But why did Percy want him to shut up? He usually had said the same phrase (only half joking) but now he was dead serious. That most likely having to do with the figures at the very top of the hill.

"Is that Ger-" Gwen slapped a hand over Percy's mouth.

"Names have power." The boy nodded and Gwen let him go.

"Can we go around?" Percy shook his head at his own question. "No... you know it could just be a mortal."

"But why? And is that... a huge stick?"

"I don't know?" In truth there was a very, very tall figure with something that looked like a very over sized and misshaped ruler. But maybe that was just the mist talking.

"When the guy turned however... He only had one eye. Right smack in the middle of his head. Percy made a weird sound in the back of his throat, like he was choking.

"Are you okay, look dude. It's only a cyclops, we've faced worse." Bobby tried to get a hold of his friend but he just stared off into space. Then muttered something so quietly no one but himself heard it over the roar of the water. He set off walking as fast as he could towards the mini cliff. Without slipping, that is. But when he reached the inclination, the man was gone. And he was staring up at fog.

"Did... did we imagine that?" Percy asked his voice so disappointed that Gwen felt bad. Then she chided herself, Percy was fine.

"No. I mean we could have. But knowing there are gods in this world lets you have someone to blame. There are no coincidences." Gwen was thinking of a lot of things mainly to do with the Jason/Percy scenario. Bobby, was thinking of past quests. And Percy. Well he always was a tad bit odd. _Buses, knits, Yankees hat. _He closed his eyes, they all needed to focus. They were at the bottom of the hill, looking up at at their destination. Well not exactly their destination, for that was the other side. But as close as they could get was the top from this vantage point.

"It was a sign." A voice spoke from behind them and Bobby nearly jumped halfway up the hill. The man who had spoken was cloaked with a long white/gray beard. His scraggly hair was tied back in a pony tail and his eyes were covered by the circular black glasses blind people wear. Then again, maybe he was one of them. The trio had backed up to the hill, as the man's milky eyes searched from behind his shades. When all they found was darkness, their owner spoke again.

"I too have renounced the gods and joined my patron. She has many servants. Many more than you will know." The cane he carried tapped each demigod on one shoe. "For her sons will kill you. Never fear though, you will make it to Vancouver! Just hurry on your way, it's all part of the plan."

Percy at that point randomly remembered someone telling him to never ask an old cripple for advice. It's not like they had asked, he was volunteering information. "Who are you?" Bobby asked trying to gain some sort of advantage because at that moment, the man had the upper hand.

"I am Tiresias. The wise old man, I see the future. I speak of it." Gwen nodded as Percy tried to nonchalantly stick his hand in his pocket. His would probably be the easiest to get out first. Who knows? Maybe Gaea had enhanced his other senses, like knowing when a weapon was getting unsheathed. Paranoid but possible. So that's what he did and gestured to Bobby.

"I can feel you making a plan. Gesturing with you hands and such. How? I can feel the wind pick up when you move." The old man's ramblings would have been useful to listen to, but he had given them enough already. They would leave quietly, unlike true heroes. Then again, all of those had mostly been in it for the fame and had all died except for a few.

Mostly because they were unknowing. About certain things. Like their fatal flaws. Just like the old man they had left behind on the bottom of the hill, rambling to himself was blind... They were currently blind. Only not of how the setting sun was now looking. Of the truth. _Of the dangers bestowed upon all half-blood youth._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I never noticed just how many myths are in the PJO series... until now. Anyway, this story is almost over (probably 3 or 4 more chapters). The only real sad thing about that is that October 4th is still coming very, very slowly. So thanks again everybody! R&R please :D  
>~Hedley is Amazing<br>**


	20. Challenge

After walking hours and hours without stopping and barely any talking, they had mostly given up worrying about the ice breaking. Surely it would have by now, if it was going to at all. But the three demigods all knew that that was a hope made in vain. But what else could they do but keep moving?

Gwen had stumbled a few times and Bobby had caught her elbow just in time, every time. Then she had returned the favor to the son of Mercury when he had tripped over a misplaced rock. And then again when he lost his balance and… It had become the norm for them. Trip, straighten walk. And so on. Looking up at the misty sky, Gwen couldn't help but wonder if it were going to rain or not. How would she know? She was just a mortal, sent to do the gods' bidding. It was up to Jupiter whether or not he would drench her and the others. Personally, she would really much rather prefer the dry option.

Percy kept wandering a little bit ahead. He, like the others had not walked without slipping a bit. He also like the others, was not blind to the danger he had put them in. Why had they even come along on the quest? It was certainly not to please Juno, who he had been informed was the famous Jason's patron. She never got a lot of love but according to the myths and his own personal experience her reputation as a demigod hater was well-earned.

So seriously, why had his friends come along? They had volunteered, along with many other people not including Reyna (for some odd reason), Rachel and any younger than twelve. And there were many, many younglings at SPQR. Percy had noticed, though there were none in his cabin. No other Neptune kids. Apparently he was the only one who had ever lived there, or had been brought up by Lupa. That is in recent years of course.

All the others who had volunteered had done it only like they were trying to prove themselves. For honor- or at least that's how Percy had seen it. Gwen actually genuinely wanted to go, along with Bobby. They hadn't been on a quest since before the Titan war and they were itching to get out of camp. Percy had never really discussed the whys with either of them. Only the 'what are we going to do next?' and even now it seemed a bit sketchy.

Everything had happened unexpectedly, he hadn't expected to recognize the person standing on the hilltop. Maybe it had been an illusion, but he knew it wasn't for it hadn't gone unseen by the others. But if it was who he thought it was… then why had he appeared there anyway? What was the purpose of that sighting other than to confuse Percy? To egg him on? Was it Juno's way to tell him- keep going? Or was it just another way she taunted him? Giving him a taste of what he used to have, and then making it disappear.

At least that's what message he had gotten from the blind old man that had appeared instead of one of the people (was he really a person?) that he needed to see the most. If he had the time or attention span to make a list of that, Annabeth would have definitely been at the top. His half brother would have come in very close after the first person he remembered.

Yes, half brother. He was almost certain of this now. The memories that figure had brought up had caused Percy to choke. Something about an honor guard and… a huge monster wrapped up in chains. He couldn't bring himself to remember a name or whether or not this was the truth. All he could was only what he was to him and these two blurry images one very, very horrible.

He kicked at a piece of pop can that had gotten stuck on the top part of his shoe. He absentmindedly thought about fauns when he did so and some soggy furniture. That only caused him to sigh and walk even faster than he had before. Gwen and Bobby easily matched his pace. After years of training for the First Legion … And then getting accepted into it… One could say they were at the very least decent athletes.

Bobby glanced up at the snowy mountains surrounding them. One particular section of snow closely resembled the White House… or was it some kind of architecture in Ancient Greece. He didn't know, nor did he particularly care to know. He didn't really have a way to know since he wasn't very close friends with any of the Minerva kids. Who else would teach ancient history before Roman times? Lupa had always said in a somewhat snippy voice that that's all that would ever matter. Now that he thought about it, she talked about New York in the same way she talked about Greece.

Bobby's mind tried to make the connection, but finding no obvious one, it continued to wander. He too had thought about what the blind man said and come nowhere near where Percy had as a conclusion. He simply passed it off as weird demigod stuff, as important as learning about faded culture. In truth, both were pretty important but not to Mercury's son here.

It hadn't crossed his mind in a while that he had seen his dad for the first time in his life. He probably should have been analyzing every word right down to the way he said them. But Bobby wasn't that type; he was more impulsive like Percy. One had to admit that deciding to walk over a frozen river in late February was not a sort of thing someone would plan. Then again it wasn't any more dangerous than climbing Mt. Tam with an advancing lord of time's army. Actually, compared to that, this was cake.

They had been walking, seeing the same ice in front of them for what seemed like days. In reality, it had been quite a while since they had last rested. The sun was setting where what seemed like was right beside them. Gwen could almost see Reyna's father Apollo riding his sun chariot. She was very good at imagining things. Like the perfect way to set up a bouquet of flowers. Or if more demigod things are what the occasion called for was- then she could see a perfect way to win a fight. But this was something extremely new for her.

First of all, it was freezing way more than it should have been if it was normal almost- March weather. This certainly was not normal. She couldn't exactly remember any snow gods in mythology so she passed that suspicion off as just that-uncertainty.

No one spoke still until Bobby's legs really couldn't take any more. And that was really something considering he had slept the most and his parent was the god of travelers. So really, if he was beat, then Gwen and Percy must be about to drop. And when their eyes met, that was exactly what the other saw in them. Exhaustion. This quest seemed to be made up with that. No one had been fully awake and perky since they had left camp. And that had been what a week ago? No one had kept track of time. Sadly, for no one knew if it was right for the campers to assume they were dead yet. But Rachel would probably respond with a negative answer for anyone who asked. It was quite possible she knew. If-that is she was even residing at SPQR anymore. Maybe she had gone back to New York. Who knows?

"Who wants to take first watch?" Percy asked his voice not quite piercing the silence for there had never exactly been any. It was a tad bit gruff since he had hardly spoken since the incident with the figure on the hill.

"Why do we need a watch now anyway?" Gwen asked instead of answering Percy's question. She had to cough three times before she was positive her voice would be heard. But what she said was true. Never once had they intentionally made someone stay up while the others slept. It had never really seemed necessary to anyone. Except now.

"We're getting close. It wouldn't exactly make my day if we were to get jumped now." Bobby just nodded and Gwen sighed when no one volunteered.

"I'll do it." She put a finger to her lips to silence Percy's half-hearted attempt to protest. He nodded then too tired to do anything than mumble a good night to which Bobby replied with a mhm.

Gwen sat up and stared at the stars which had always seemed so distant to her. They were so stupid, that no one had made a move to get off the ice. They had just curled up in their sleeping bags and hoped that it wouldn't crack and that the unforgiving icy water wouldn't drown them.

That was another one of the challenges included in the quest. Along with many other things, they had to trust each other and many other things in order to succeed. This was also pretty hard since through half of the quest they had absolutely no idea what they were on the quest for. But now they knew. It was never really about Ixion, more about Gaea and her son- who was still a mystery.

Gwen's head bobbed, and when she noticed she whipped it up and took some water out of her bottle to splash on her face. If she fell asleep now… she just needed to wait a couple more hours, then she'd wake someone else to do the job. She would just have to give it her best estimate. That's to say that she wouldn't tip it in her favor. Oh gods, Bobby must be rubbing off on her.

* * *

><p>After an agonizing two hours of just staring off into space, she shook Percy awake. He mumbled something that sent a pang in Gwen's chest.<p>

"Just a minute Annabeth." His hand was sort of raised as if to swat off some annoying fly. Even though this basically ruined sleep-deprived Gwen's over-extended day- she continued to wake Percy up.

"It's not Annabeth. Get your ass up so I can sleep." The irritation must have passed on onto her voice for Percy stirred and sat up. His eyes were clouded over with sleep and his hair was dusted with still freshly fallen snow. This was due to an idiotic move he had made by taking off his toque.

"Sorry um, Gwen. I was..." He trailed off seeing the unhappy look in the daughter of Ceres' eyes. That was probably due to her needing sleep -desperately. So Percy just stood up and went for a little walk, muttering that it was border patrol. Gwen was too tired to argue so she simply pushed his unrolled sleeping bag away and took out her own.

Percy really just needed air or he was sure he would fall asleep again. For once, his dreams weren't too terrible. Reminiscent and distant- yes. Horrifying- no. He was on a beach with Annabeth who was in his lap. The dream then shifted and she was waking him up. Reality had to eventually set in as he actually woke up and saw Gwen. He could barely keep the disappointment out of his voice.

He shook it off again, succeeding in making snowflakes slide off his hair. Sighing Percy walked back to their make-shift campsite so he could grab a hat. While he was at it he 'made his bed'. So initially packed his bag, prepared for whenever they had to leave. He sincerely hoped it wasn't too soon only for Gwen's sake. She had slept the least and deserved a break. True, he did too but nevertheless he wasn't getting one any time soon.

He dug at the ice with his fingertip resulting in a nearly frozen finger. Smart. He was just so smart that he didn't even put gloves on. Heaving out another sigh that held way too much stress for his age, he leaned back against his bag.

* * *

><p>Another few hours later Percy couldn't take it anymore. He woke Bobby up first, trying for gentle but ended up kicking his side. "Get up."<p>

Bobby sprang up, much less slowly than last time when he saw Gwen still sleeping. He rubbed at his eyes in the typical manner then proceeded to finish his morning routine. Percy leaned down to Gwen and shook her shoulder. Their roles were now reversed since she was the one to try and wake him up a short while ago. She was much better at it than him who was failing.

Then with an unexpected start she woke up. When her eyes finally focused she did what Bobby had just finished doing and got up. After eating some stolen cereal (Percy had to bite his tongue to keep from making any agriculture jokes) she drank some water.

Then she got up and started walking, as if she had decided it was her turn to lead. Percy quickened his pace and Bobby was left just sort of standing there watching the snow. Realizing he was left behind he jogged to keep up with the rest of them. Just one more day of this and they would reach their destination. Canada.

But what if they had already crossed the border? There wasn't exactly a line that said U.S.A and Canada like there were in maps. None could tell by the not changing landscape around them. Percy guessed that even with his memory he wasn't the best at geography. And as for Bobby and Gwen, they had never even been to a real school. Their only teacher was a wolf. And since she couldn't exactly teach them the basics (like math) she had the eldest Minerva students help with such things. But living in Frisco, didn't exactly make anyone learn about that far north. What's the point?

Again after many, many hours of no talking or just meaningless chatter to fill the silence, the inevitable happened.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I really didn't like the last part of chapter 19 and a part in 17, I might go and change that. Anyway, I can't believe I'm on the twentieth chapter! I'll most likely have about 5 more. This chapter was a filler but next one will be action. That's harder to write (for me anyway) so I'll update a bit slower. So... review!  
>~Hedley is Amazing<br>**


	21. Unoticed

The river ended. Well, technically not really since the demigods had veered off the river course a bit when on one side the mountains subsided. Gladly, for now they no longer had to worry about pressing matters such as drowning. They could now think of things in the close future like _what son was Gaea talking about in Percy's dream? _

Percy had recapped his nightmarish experience for he wasn't too sure if he had mentioned it prior to crashing. Gwen went on to list some of 'Mother Earth's many, many children with Bobby piping in every now and then.

"Saturn, Ops his wife- also known as Rhea, the Giants, the wrestler Antaeus and even her own husband…" Gwen trailed on with Bobby nodding once or twice but Percy hardly recognized any names at all. One name- _the wrestler _did seemed very, very familiar. _Chains. Thumbs down. Bad deal. _He shook his head yet again while something occurred to him.

"Wait, what are the giants? Like Cyclops or…"

"No. They're like the earthborn who almost defeated the gods after Saturn did- the first time, not five months ago." Percy nodded but he could see the idea forming in Gwen's mind as well.

"Oh gods you don't think?" So Bobby seemed to have caught on as well.

"Yup, that's exactly what I think." Percy said grimly as he finally, _finally _thought through the fact that they might not come back alive from this quest. But there was definitely no backing down now. Bobby let out a sort of moan/sigh.

"Anyone got a plan?"

"Um, well let's see… We really should ask the information center." Gwen said pointing at a building.

"Do you really think that that's a…"

"Well no. Actually hell no. We gotta move before the mortal police get us crossing the border." Gwen said pointing at what looked like the RCMP. Or what she has seen of them in the pictures of some Canadian demigods at camp. There were also policemen that looked so high up in the ranks that they had more than just cheap guns. So unless they had a Nemean lion coat on hand… Because three home homeless looking kids would not fare well with anyone.

"True." And they started walking very quietly farther away from the police, yet still closer to the border. When they were out of sight from that whole get-up they started running, until they reached the highway. The first sign they had that they were out of their home country? There was French writing under the English on the road signs. The English (they could read that) said Delta and Richmond.

"So… Now what?" Percy asked more than a little out of breath.

"I don't know you're the leader, aren't ya?" Bobby snapped rudely. Gwen gave him a glare but Percy was a little bit taken aback from his companion's remark. He should be a leader. That centaur was appearing in his mind again. No not that one he met at the beginning of their journey with the river. Chiron. This time though, Percy did not shut him out.

"I am." He replied to Bobby's sarcastic rhetorical statement. Gwen only looked at Percy curiously who blew out a huge breath of air. This wasn't his usual self, he seemed too serious.

"Ok, so what do we do then?" She herself had been the planner on this quest. But she too had no idea what to make of the next step on the quest.

"Um, we go somewhere historical… ancient? I have no idea." Bobby cut in as Percy opened his mouth.

"Do you want to wait for them to find us?"

"No. Too risky. Better for us to sneak around and know what we're facing." Percy nodded his agreement after a second's hesitation at Gwen's wise words. Bobby did the same. There was silence for what seemed like miles. Maybe it was. Who knows? A bus drove right past them and after a second's hesitation, Gwen waved it down. That is, after a nod of approval from Percy. They boarded and slipped some extra mortal money into the change slot. After what seemed like no time at all and hardly any conversations at all, they reached the end of the bus line. Surprisingly, there were no monsters that whole drive.

"So where to?"

"We uh need another map? No, are we even in Vancouver?" What a very stupid question. Considering she almost ran smack into a _Welcome to Vancouver _sign. Bobby stifled a laugh but Percy couldn't contain one. It bounced across the awkwardly- but conveniently empty streets. It traveled… until Gwen slapped her hand over his mouth a second later.

"Shut up." Her harsh whisper stopped without an explanation when Percy nodded his head under her hand. She removed her hand and glanced at Bobby to make sure he was being equally silent.

_Too bad we don't have any 'You are here' signs._ Percy scratched at his knee. He really didn't want to waste any more time. If the reason for sending him all his dreams (especially the latest dream) was to motivate him, it worked splendidly. He was almost giddy, like a fangirl would be anticipating something new about her favorite celebrity. He knew that he could very well be sprinting to his death but that hardly bothered him at this point. What did was that it would be his fault if Gwen or Bobby got hurt. Something gave him the feeling that he was pretty used to feeling like he was holding up the world.

Walking aimlessly, their path only chosen by Percy at random. They were approaching the downtown part of Vancouver, where many concerts play. In fact, this was basically the recreational area of the entire city. It was almost like an agora- a Greek marketplace in ancient times. Or a forum in the Roman days. But obviously this square was hardly like that at all. The only connection between this place and that would be the three demigods standing and looking around at the many posters littering the walls.

"Hey what's this?" Percy asked. There at one of the side streets and he was staring at a brick wall intently.

"You mean this poster? What is this? A homecoming... Really dude?" Bobby asked staring at a place occupied with an advertisement right above Percy's head.

"No not that. That." Gwen helped Percy by pointing a spot right below from where Bobby looked. Percy's eyes were widening in disbelief as he reached the end of the page. He ripped it off and shoved it under Bobby's nose. Not angry, just... Confused? Gwen hardly recognized his expression. That's a lie. She did, she just didn't understand why... It was anticipation? Why was he eager to look at this particular announcement?

"The all new Inferno Festival. One day only." Bobby read still not understanding what Percy did and what Gwen was nearing. "Main event, a Ferris wheel, like in the good old days... Why did you show me this?" Bobby questioned after scanning the rest of the seemingly innocent piece of paper.

"Look at this." Gwen said, roughly shoving her finger at the picture displayed on one corner of the page. Bobby did as he was told and his eyes too got slightly bigger. The photograph was shimmering slightly one second it looked like a normal carnival, the next it featured fire all along its edges. Percy dimly recognized this. Missed? No m-i-s-t. Someone had told him that...

"Where is it?" Bobby asked finally understanding what they needed to do. He looked around and the sight before him answered his own question. The shine of metal reached him from in between tree branches. It was like when a child sees the first ride in the car on the way to an amusement park. Though here, the excitement was more subdued. Gwen and Percy looked to where Bobby was looking and without speaking unanimously decided that it was now or never.

They squished their way towards the forest and farther and farther from any signs of society. Simultaneously they were nearing themselves into the clutches of Gaea and Ixion. And really who knows what else? One thing was clear though. This would be the final battle of this quest. If Gaea was free... Who knows what would happen? Well, all three knew. They just feared that saying it aloud would somehow make it real. Superstitions? Hardly. Considering that they were nearing enemy territory and any distractions at this point _would _be fatal.

Percy's boot got stuck too far deep in a section of mud and he had to bite his tongue from calling out when it seeped into his toe. They were directly beside the festival which- (thank the gods) looked to be closed. This due to the fact that it was empty. But maybe that had to do with the location being a creepy, filthy forest.

They might as well go in and announce their arrival. It would hardly matter, all the enemies had already known that they would end up here in the end. Gwen peaked through a crack in the bushes.

"Honey, are you looking for me?" A sweet, familiar voice called out right behind where they were crouching. This was accompanied by the not so sweet smell of cows. It could just be an odd scented perfume but Percy knew it wasn't like that so he whirled around, his sword springing to life.

Gwen and Bobby were already there on either side of the woman smiling there before them. There was something there about the way she was glowing that was not there on the train before. Io, one of the infamous lovers of Jupiter. No, she wasn't glowing. It was just a creepy aura around her, maybe radiating from her devilish smile? Gwen didn't know what to do and she wasn't alone.

"So kids, I hope you know that Ixion is rising along with his... ally,"

"We know lady, now tell us who that is or else." Bobby said this in such a Hollywood way that Percy was surprised a hidden camera crew didn't just jump out of the bushes. Percy opened opened his mouth to protest Bobby's swinging sword coming down on the woman's neck... but it was too late. He slashed it off while it landed in a heap on the ground before disintegrating in the usual monster way.

"You know Bobby, this might come as a shock to you but- dust can't answer your questions." Percy said condescendingly, annoyed that he had killed Io before she could help them.

"Well at least she's dead." He said only a little bit ashamed.

"Yup, one down who knows how many more?" Gwen said pessimistically, which was actually really out of character for her.

They turned around and entered the bushes. Bobby spotted the growing dirt from Percy's dream and the gorgons. Even Geryon was there, all surrounding the Ferris wheel in what looked like an eager crowd. A happy line up of mortals, until one got closer and saw Geryon's three bodies and the gorgons' hair. Then it became quite clear that this was not a normal gathering in the slightest. Add the three demigods already armed with their trusty weapons... Well, unless you were blind like so many people were, there was nothing good about that.

"Why are they not attacking us?" Percy whispered harshly but Gwen didn't shush him because she saw his point.

"They, must smell us by now. We're about 30 feet away from them, something's off." Bobby had his second smart realization of the quest, announcing something that the others were only beginning to understand.

"What-"Percy cut himself off when he saw that Euryale had disappeared. Screeching brought his eyes above him to the sight of the grotesque gorgon herself in all her snake-haired glory. All eyes in the clearing turned to his friends who looked to him for what to do next.

Percy spoke one word in Latin, one of the only ones he'd bothered to pay attention to when Reyna tried to teach him. "Invado." _Attack. _At his call they sprang into action.

Bobby tossed his pack aside and ran to Stheno, the other gorgon sister. He engaged into a fight with her and well, it was lucky his genealogy made him a jack of all trades. The gorgon's claws slashed where his face had been only a moment before he had ducked. His ADHD was working miracles for him, all his senses going into battle mode.

Percy stared slack-jawed at the spectacle before him until he followed suit. His duffel bag landed on the ground at Gwen's feet with a thud. He ran to where Geryon was standing and quickly occupied him with his sword. The awkward looking monster took out what looked like a barbecue brush before Percy realized it was a whole mass of sharp dinner knives. The creature aimed at him and missed. Percy swung his sword and deflected every one that came close to his face. He ducked, slashed and rolled. He got Geryon in one chest but still his other two hearts never stopped beating. Percy stooped to cutting his head off which he hoped would at least make it harder for him to reform.

Gwen was brought back from her staring when Percy screamed at her to duck. She did so without even thinking and swung her blade right in opponent's neck. The gorgon dropped, then immediately reformed. With a cackle she screeched.

"How blissfully ignorant you heroes are. You don't even know that you're too late." Euryale howled with an amused look on her face.

"What did she say?" Bobby yelled from somewhere to her front left. Allowing herself one glance she saw him fighting Nessus the centaur who fortunately had dropped his bow. With only close range, Bobby had more of a chance. What Gwen noticed and he did not was that he was slowly backing up into the moving wheel. Blinking she turned back to her own fight just in time to see the gorgon rip out a chunk out of her hair.

She bit back a curse knowing a curse would come out instead. She took her sword up off the ground, took a chance and let sword soar through the air. The gorgon flew but her wings failed her at the last second. The sword nailed her in the eye and she fell with a heap.

"Nice one." congratulated Percy from somewhere to her right. He dodged blow after blow from the blind man. Nessus the centaur was dead and Geryon was only starting to reform. _Who's missing? _Percy thought back to everyone they had fought on the quest. His mind was blank. Just as he managed to land a hit on the surprisingly agile man, he heard yet another call coming from deeper in the forest. Their reinforcements never stop coming do they? _Vlacas. You forgot Lamia._ Meanwhile the fast growth of the mound was going unnoticed by all.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well there's a really, really long chapter. Hope you enjoy it! If anyone can think of any suggestions for the next chapter I'd gladly take them. Can't believe I have over 120 reviews. So happy :)**  
><strong>~Hedley is Amazing<strong>

**Edit. Thanks to an anonymous reviewer (Tiffany) who told me that Vancouver wasn't as close to the border as I used to have it. I honestly have no idea about that part of Canada so, thanks for telling me!  
><strong>


	22. War Zone

Three monsters closed in on Percy. Tiresias still dodged all blows. It still surprised the son of Neptune. How could an old man be so lithe? It must be Gaea- his patron's doing. Geryon was fully reformed and still looked not tired in any way. Lamia was cackling, this time she was already her monster self. Hot chick waist up, dragon hips down. She started leisurely walking, waddling to Percy as if she had all the time in the world. Considering the fact that if she counted the dozens of Keres (or even if she didn't) the demigods were hopelessly outnumbered. Not to mention the surprises that she was yet to unleash on them.

Gwen was doing alright after the gorgon dropped and didn't reform. Percy told her that if you're lucky then it could take up to two hours for them to reform. She really thought she might be a little lucky... Until she saw Lamia and the others corner Percy.

"Really?" Percy yelled. "Shit!" But it only really hit Gwen that Gaea hated them when Percy's words echoed. He didn't seem to notice though, so she ran to help him with at least one of the monsters.

"I'll take the hag!" She called dibs leaving Percy with only Geryon. For at that exact second, Bobby came running over with a snake tangled in his curly mess of hair. That was pretty much a giveaway that both gorgons were dead.

"Mine!" He announced about Tiresias who was starting to limp after Percy landed so many blows.

Percy slashed at Geryon again and again. And every time his heart was stabbed- at least one of them. The others kept beating. _Three hearts. The perfect back up system. _Percy felt as if his throat was closing up due to all the images replaying in his mind. _Cyclops, Annabeth, goat... goth kid? All tied up? _All the snippets of his memory came back at that moment while an even stronger vision overlaying all the past ones. This one was fresh, even when he opened his eyes it was still there. It was happening _now. _History repeats itself.

Percy suffered a stab in his chest from the blunt end of a kitchen bread knife. Turns out having three bodies doesn't do anything to improve your baseball skills. He dove for the ground where he had seen something drop... Yes! He found the dropped bow and reached for a stray arrow. Geryon smirked triumphantly. As soon as Percy fitted the arrow in the bow, it felt wrong. He didn't know how to shoot.

_But Annabeth's tied up, w_hispered what he had come to realize was Gaea's voice convincing him to give up. Percy prayed as hard as he could to the twin archers but something told him that's what happened last time. The gods don't lend out favors often... Maybe Juno would- if he dared to stoop so low? He tried. Percy could almost see her prideful smile. But nevertheless, he went down on one knee and notched the bow. Geryon moved and Percy swore loudly.

"Gwen!" The girl whirled around, unintentionally flipping her matted hair in doing so. She caught the bow and arrow just in time. Percy took over Lamia for her until she understood what to do. Almost anyone has a better shot in archery than Percy. For Gwen, being best friends with Reyna did its job. There were three thumps and Geryon crashed.

Bobby still fought with the old man but the wise one knew his death would arrive soon. For the last time. So he made a final effort to bring down the demigod in front of him. He made a desperate grab at what he assumed (he was blind after all) was Bobby's shirt. The son of Mercury cleanly sliced off his head, taking advantage in his vulnerable moment. There was a lull in the fight before the tenebrae (or keres) surged forward to take their turn in trying to defeat them. They left Percy alone, just sidled right past him. They would wait until he was dead before they feed.

"I know why Narcissus left you." Taunted the hero of Olympus to the thousands of years old lady before him.

"I've heard it all before kid. Do you think it's because of my hair perhaps?" She pointed to her perfectly curled red hair with a manicured nail atop a wrinkled hand.

"It might be." Percy groaned when the monster's tail whipped him in the face. He flew into a boulder that seemed a tad bit out of place. _Damn Rhodope mountains. _Percy stood up in pain and dazed. Lamia came and took that as an opportunity to distract him further. That was Echo's forte but she _still _hadn't reformed. And the serpent woman would do a pretty decent job.

"You're too late son of Poseidon. Didn't they tell you what today is?" She easily made the dizzy teen give his friends an accusing glance.

"What?" His voice was slightly stronger but still distant. Well if someone would've broken every bone in their body... but somehow didn't, they need a chance to recover. At least a few seconds.

"In only minutes, we will sacrifice to Mother Earth... Enabling her son, Polybotes to rise again!" What was going to happen in minutes? Midnight. Of what day? March... Percy's head started to spin. He couldn't even listen to his own words of advice given to Bobby. He had to shut the monster up before his head exploded. He hacked at her with eyes shut as he tried to gather his thoughts. Turns out there was no need because when he heard the thud that symbolized Lamia's end, it felt as if adrenaline was shot through his veins.

He ran to where Bobby and Gwen had just finished hacking the last ker apart. "What's tomorrow?"His intensity scared them both.

"March 20th, that's what the flyer said." As soon as the words left his mouth Bobby realized that there was a hidden time limit this entire time.

"The spring equinox." Gwen's words were a whisper.

"One of the strongest points of time for both chaos and Olympus." Percy stated. Of course! Along with Summer and Winter solstice. How could they have been _so _blind? The time was wasting away. The second the red arrow on Bobby's little wrist watch would tick to 12:00, they were screwed.

"You're right you know." They turned and found the person that had started this entire thing. Ixion- father of centaurs, condemned to a wheel of Hell for becoming lustful of Hera. Well he was currently off that wheel and ironically (why do the fates have such a sick sense of humor?) was dressed as a fireman. His beard was black, his hair cropped in the typical way for boys back in Rome.

Slightly tousled, most likely due to him being in Tartarus for eons. He was legitimately smoldering and the smoke was steaming off of him. The first time in that quest Gwen was completely out of it. She stared open mouthed and now both Percy and Bobby knew how it felt when they like that over Lamia... and Echo. But there could not have been a worse time.

"Good to see I have the effect on women that are not clouds." He smiled and Percy scowled at what he assumed were the man's teeth. He wasn't sure because they were as black as the soon to be midnight sky that served as a backdrop to this devastating scene.

"Go to hell." Bobby spoke through gritted teeth as he lunged for the man. Ixion just smiled and Percy realized for the first time that he must be insane. Then he remembered the story that that random Minerva girl had told him back at SPQR. _Ixion went mad; defiled by his act of murder... _

Percy jerked forward to catch Bobby's arm as Ixion shoved him. It sent him to the ground but he kind of doubted that the other boy's body would've survived the impact of being thrown into the rocks.

"Ha, been there done that boy." Then Ixion proceeded to walk away from the boys while Percy quickly pulled Bobby to his feet. He then ran over to Gwen and used his water powers to splash her in the face. It only filled her still gaping mouth causing her to splutter. Percy even resorted to slapping her in the face. But whatever charm Ixion had pulled on her had made her flimsy. She fell right over and Percy had to reach out before she could fall sideways into the mud.

Then Bobby's depressing voice spoke from somewhere near him. "It's too late. We've failed. Look the wheel's gone. It's-"

"-midnight. I know." Percy couldn't help his voice from sound so deadpan. Still he set Gwen down on the ground. As a last ditch effort before planning to jump Ixion and strangling him, he kicked the Ceres girl. She stirred and jumped.

"Why would you! Oh. Sorry..." She trailed off when her head drifted to the direction they were all looking. The bright light, like when Juno and Mercury appeared- but intensified x100. Out sprang a giant in full armor, brandishing a javelin. Percy ducked from a mud clump. One of the many that were flying around. Then slowly before anyone could react they started forming into... more monsters?

Polybotes had just risen and was stretching as if he weren't over 10 feet tall. The was looking around casually, as if he had woken from a quick cat nap. Percy pulled Bobby and Gwen closer to him to whisper them his quickly made and not-so-foolproof plan.

"I'll take the giant, Gwen'll take the other ones. Bobby you take Ixion." Percy's voice was clipped and short. He wasn't going to take arguing. So when both Gwen and Bobby protested, he glared at them. His green eyes were steely, like an ocean before the storm. Calm, for who knows how long? Gwen gave up.

"May the goddess Fortuna be with you both." She said in English then muttered a quick prayer in Latin.

"Ditto." Percy said then clapped Bobby and the back and with that they split up. Polybotes had taken to crushing the big boulders Percy had fallen against.

"Hey!" He shouted from down on the ground. "Yo!" He tried again and this time Polybotes smiled down at him.

"Who are you? A present from Poseidon? Ares?" A part in Percy wanted to say that he was but he stopped himself.

"No. Hey, by the way... do you by any chance like the name Polly? It suits you." Percy taunted careful to be away from the booted trampling feet.

" I am the great Polybotes! I will destroy you. Now speak! Who are you?" He roared and Percy considered for a moment. Then he decided to go all out.

"I am the son of Poseidon! I'm a child of Greece! I slayed the Minotaur with my bare hands. I held up the sky, I slew the Clazmanian sow and defeated Hyperion. I led the demigod army that defeated Kronos. Now I will destroy you. I am a hero of Olympus!" Percy's voice rang out loudly, Gwen and Bobby would have turned and threw him question after question... But they were caught up in their own fight.

Polybotes roared, not particularly liking Percy's bragging, perhaps because it was better than his? The giant tried to stomp on Percy who sidestepped and slashed at its toe. Polly (Percy was now officially calling him this) tried to kick him away but Percy dodged his foot again. They played like this a while before Polybotes decided to use his weapon. He jabbed at Percy and sent him flying into the same rocks as before. _Rocks. Earth. _His mind wasn't conjuring up memories of his personal past, it was tugging at the myth part of his brain.

Polybotes. How did he die? Slayed by Heracles? No. Jupiter's lightning bolt? Nope. Why had he gotten so angry when Percy said son of Poseidon? Suddenly it clicked. Polybotes was defeated by Poseidon. He threw an island at him. _Rocks. Earth. Earthquake. _Percy knew what to do.

* * *

><p>Bobby's fight with Ixion went great. There were the typical taunts thrown around, the humorous jabs. Turns out the guy was a pretty fierce fighter. He had after all murdered his family. He was very experienced in the art of death, after experiencing it himself.<p>

Bobby stabbed in a deadly arc coming at Ixion's chest. He bled, red, normal blood. But something odd happened as Bobby was about to rush off to help Percy and Gwen. The sand reached up and started healing the sure fatal wound.

"I am favored by Gaea." He said and Bobby knew what he would do next. He glanced at Gwen who finished off the last of the mud army. He swore at her in Latin; telling her to get her ass over here. She complied, wiping her blade on her jeans. He whispered the plan to her, but it was a stage whisper for he was speaking in Latin anyway. Gwen nodded, then turned to Ixion with an unfocused expression on her face.

"Oh hottie," She said while Bobby had to hide a slightly distressed smirk. Gwen would do well as a daughter of Bacchus. "I believe you and me have to start what we need to." Ixion smiled a huge victorious smirk followed by an only slightly suspicious smile.

"Of course we do. Tell me now honey, what did the Mercury kid tell you?"

"He said, to not fall for your tricks. But I'd already fallen... in love." Bobby had to keep from retching at that comment. Ixion smiled hugely while Gwen put a hand to his chest.

"Follow me." She murmured into the hollow place by his neck. Ixion's two thousand year old body shivered and did as he was told. Bobby's part was coming in.

"No Gwen! Treason." He snarled and a flash of fear flashed across the girl's face before turning back to her newfound lover.

"Come on, let's get away from this loser." She let go of him for a second and started climbing up a tree. Entranced by the way she scurried up so nimbly, Ixion did the same. Gwen smiled at him and took out her knife.

"No need of this when I'm with you." She tossed it off the edge of the branch she was sitting on. She then hugged the ancient murderer, winked at Bobby. Behind Ixion's back Bobby tossed her up his sword. And seconds later, she stabbed him in the back.

"Yes!" Bobby cried out while Gwen was just disgusted. Two bad parts. She had blood all over her _and _sand that had tried to reach the father of centaurs and failed. Also, Percy was cornered near the rocks. Gwen jumped off the tree and booked it over to help her friend.

"Back away!" Percy's voice was loud, demanding and very, very leader-like. Gwen needed to obey him. But what was he saying? Stay back? Why would she do that? She wouldn't! Gwen jumped forward and something pinned her down a minute later. From far away she heard Bobby's screaming he name.

But closer up, closer than ever before came Percy's voice. "I told you not to do that." His arms were wrapped around her like a metal vice. She fought the feeling that she had gotten what she had dreamed of at his first week at camp. She didn't want him on top of her. Who would ever want to endure the unpleasant feeling of getting strangled?

"Let go." Her voice was contorted with pain and while Percy loosened his grip, he didn't let go.

"Wait..." His head lifted up from hers, then returned. "Ok." Under his normal voice was under layer of happiness. Or maybe he was just content. Gwen got up and saw why. There had been an earthquake and a huge rock was lobbed into Polybotes. She giggled, she still a little giddy and dizzy.

"Poor Polly, why Percy? Did you hurt poor Polly?" Bobby's voice was joking and it made Gwen burst into a laughing fit. There was a strong hint of respect though, only half hidden. Percy smiled.

"I'm very sorry Bobby." Percy put a hand on his shoulder. "I know how hard it'll be for ya to just forget him." Bobby fake sobbed and they all laughed. Looking back at the once peaceful clearing, they realized it looked like a war zone. Which it was.

They grabbed their packs, and headed back into the light of civilization. Their quest was over. All that was left was...

"Percy, what did you mean you're a child of Greece?" Trust a tired Gwen to ruin the mood.

"I'll tell you back at the legions. With everybody else. Now all we need is a ride... And some clothes." Gwen let the subject drop since Percy had oh so cleverly changed the subject.

"And a shower. Gods Percy you smell like shit." Bobby added in, knowing some of what Percy was hiding. And knowing that his memories were back. He also knew that the subject had to be buried, at least for the time being.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And there we have it! The climax of my story! *cheers* Yup, so only a few chappies left. This one was 3,010 words by the way. And as always, thanks for reading. Please enjoy and review :D**  
><strong>~Hedley is Amazing<strong>


	23. Home

They walked out of the forest into the hustle of the city once more. Apparently right after midnight was a busy time in Vancouver. There were many pubs open, bright lights splattered all across the city. Fast food restaurants were among some of the shops open, which made Percy grateful... but not exactly ecstatic. He never particularly liked showering in a Mc Donalds bathroom but, desperate times call for desperate measures.

The trio split up at the entrance, Bobby to hold their place in line, Percy to the mens' room, Gwen to the ladies. There was a very large line-up, full with all sorts of people. None of the mortals were splattered with monster guts like Bobby but... no one noticed, or cared.

Percy rushed off and ducked to the sink. The small, disgusting smelling room was empty- thank the gods. He splashed his face with ice cold water then walked to a stall to change. Coming out more refreshed and very not homeless looking, he checked in the mirror. He made sure he wore a guarded expression before walking out the door to take Bobby's place in line.

"Your turn." He said with a smile that hopefully did not look tight. Bobby looked him over and then nodded. In his mad dash to the bathroom, he almost knocked a chair over using his bag. Percy waited not so patiently his stomach growling. When he saw the 'Happy Meal' sign he gulped. _Happy Flush. _What the Hades? This image felt connected with the one where he shot an arrow at Geryon. It was all still blurry, but one thing was crystal clear. _Greek. _He had to tell the others. They would help him when it came to the other Romans. Another thing he was pretty sure about was that they were friends. Good friends.

"Hey." Gwen's voice called out from behind him causing Percy to jump.

"Oh. Hey." His eyes widened a bit at her appearance. She looked almost the same as she had when they first left from camp. Did the girls have a full shower in there? Or was Gwen just really good at washing up? She smiled a bit and saw his expression.

"What's wrong?" Her voice was gentle as she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hm? Oh, I'll ah... tell you when Bobby comes." Gwen nodded and saw Percy relax a bit. They reached the front of the line up.

"What would you like?" The annoyed looking employee asked them in a high pitched voice. _Well it's her fault is she didn't get a better job. _Gwen was right, this girl hadn't thought about her future. Then again, the daughter of Ceres hadn't either. What happens when they get back to camp? Percy listed off some very fattening food products for all three of them and added that it was to go. Just then, Bobby came back.

"Ready!" He yelled semi-loudly and then winked at the surprised employee. She seemed a bit flustered and didn't count all the cash that Percy gave her well. How did he know? Percy hadn't given her close to enough because he hardly had any at all.

"Nice one man." Percy congratulated once they were out of earshot. Bobby grinned from ear to ear. Then it dropped because for the first time he realized the very solemn mood that his friends seemed to be in, Percy especially.

"What did I miss?" He asked biting into a fry, ketchup smearing across his face.

"I ah, have to tell you guys something." The newly rediscovered son of Poseidon said. He seemed rather nervous and Bobby saw him fingering his pen in his pocket instead of his food. He started walking faster but both Gwen and Bobby met his pace easily- again.

"Yeah?" Gwen asked gently, having a very good idea what he was going to say.

"Is this about the whole 'Greek' thing?" Bobby put two quotes in the air with his greasy fingers. Gwen nodded her agreement with the boy. Percy just looked taken aback.

"Um, yes actually. The monsters said that I'm-"

"-a son of Poseidon?" Bobby asked, casually surprised that Percy thought he hadn't caught on. This son of Mercury was not that idiotic, even he would have noticed some of the hints being dropped. But in no way did that mean his head wasn't spinning.

"So what?" Gwen asked somewhat irately. She too was a bit dizzy and did not fully understand why that was.

"I... I uh..." Percy spluttered a bit staring at Gwen's one eyebrow that was raised and a mouthful of cheeseburger. "Why are you-"

"-calm? Why wouldn't I be?" she saw his mouth open in explanation. "No, don't answer that." Percy closed his mouth and looked down awkwardly. Gwen had no idea where he had put his meal. She wasn't sure if he had finished it already or had simply ditched it to have his hands free. Free to finger his necklace and his pen that is.

"So, you were the odd one out of the bunch?" Bobby asked still not fully comprehending just how Greek Percy was. Or rather just how many Greeks there are? He meant it as a simple question, he had only said out of ignorance, but Percy's eyes flashed.

"A mistake?" Gwen interrupted before Percy could do anything but glare at the ground. "You are really gonna pull that one? Technically we're all errors made by the gods. But don't you see? This thing with him is much bigger than that." Percy didn't really like being talked about as if he weren't there, but he agreed with the last bit of what Gwen said. Bobby nodded, knowing that Percy would take that as an apology. He was slowly beginning to get it. Juno wouldn't have given Percy this quest if she wasn't absolutely sure he was important.

* * *

><p>The interesting and important factor of the conversation went downhill from that point on. The flow of it kept getting interrupted by long pauses in which everyone kept to their own thoughts. Finally, everyone gave up talking and just kept walking. They tried to go back to where they had found the bus from the border that had taken them there, but turns out there were walking in a completely different place.<p>

It wasn't really any wonder since all they had discussed on that topic was that Bobby had _found _extra money in his bag for the trip. Percy only added a 'Sure, now you found it.' That ended with Bobby nodding kind of sheepishly and Gwen continuing to wander ahead.

Finally they found what looked to be the camp that had the police from both countries. Even now in the early morning (had that much time really passed?) it was heavily guarded. Bobby sort of doubted that they would let them pass no questions. They'd be lucky if getting questioned is all that happened. There would most likely be some arresting going on. Lupa could probably maneuver the mist enough to get them out but there would still be a long delay. There was nothing that he wanted more than to just go home.

"What do we do?" Gwen asked, looking exhausted for two main reasons. One being that they hadn't slept since the riverbank. The other was that that question had been seriously over used in the past couple days (or was it weeks?)Percy crouched down lower behind the bushes they were hiding behind when when of the cops turned. He (typically) had doughnut crumbs that were visible even from where they were standing. Percy's face twisted a bit before he answered. Why had that particular desert reminded him of hydras?

"We just cross it like last time, then duck into the city." One word that could be used to describe his plan? Unreliable. But it was all they had so they went with it. Gwen started scampering through the maze of forest just as she had climbed up the tree before Ixion. Percy and Bobby followed close behind, though it was much, much less graceful.

When the sound of loud talking and very many guffaws were no longer heard, Percy stopped for a second.

"I think we turn here." Naturally Gwen noticed that his eyes were drooping, the green looking less lively than usual. They never had talked about his display of power back in the Vancouver 'festival', but it had almost entirely drained him. For all of these miles he kept going off all the fast food he had eaten. Of course, she wasn't too empathetic because she felt almost the same way, along with Bobby.

"Yeah." She said in a monotone and then followed after him into the more urban area. They could hardly do more than thank the gods when they found a train that led them as far Alameda (one of the counties in the Bay Area). They bought the tickets this time for fear that they might get thrown off the train. This one looked slightly more high tech than the one with Io. That and this time they were getting no help from any monsters that wanted to speed them on their way to death. Not that that had worked out anyway.

"I'm just gonna sleep." Bobby said and went over and sat down at the aisle opposite the one that Percy was leaning against.

"Same." Gwen replied just as sleepily. Percy had been overcome by some sense of caution now that the quest was over.

"Shouldn't we really stay awake? I-"

"-if you want to, knock yourself out man." Bobby said yawning once before closing his eyes once more. Gwen only nodded and Percy just complied. No point being stubborn if they were right and it's what he wanted anyway. So he leaned against the window, ignoring the quite ugly scenery displayed before him. It used to be quite picturesque, now the snow was melting, revealing the yellowing grass.

* * *

><p>"Percy?" Bobby was shaking him awake. "It's our stop." Percy just nodded at that and saw Gwen staring at him intently.<p>

"What?" He said and a bit self-consciously dabbed at his mouth. One of his earliest memories that he had recently gotten back. _'You drool when you sleep.' Annabeth flipped her princess curls and dashed away, hair bouncing as she went. _Gwen's laughing brought him about five years back to the present.

"You, you're just hilarious to wake up." She stopped giggling and smiled at him. His eyes got all squinted at the bright lights. One thing that kind of worried her was the way his eyebrows got all scrunched up like he would have rather been asleep than face reality. And before that he always tried to swat away the person as if they were a mosquito or something.

"Like you're any better. You start mumbling bout the newest type of gardening gloves or something." Bobby let out a short laugh at the image Percy had conjured. Then he did a pretty poor imitation of Gwen's face in the morning including a very un-lady-like snort. Percy smiled and Gwen just glared jokingly.

"If you have a problem we could always... you know." Her eyebrows were raised and her eyes darted back and forth from her weapon to Bobby's.

"Dirty..." Percy said stretching out the 'er' with his own eyebrows raised. Gwen blushed and Bobby smiled hugely. The train lurched to a squeaky stop. The demigods grabbed their stuff and bolted down the hallway type thing. The door opened automatically and they wandered out into the official spring air.

Percy smiled. "We're close aren't we?" Bobby looked at him oddly for a second then nodded. Why it was weird? He just remembered their previous conversation about Greeks and the awkward silence that followed. He wondered why there was none of that this morning.

Gwen was looking at Percy much the same way Bobby was. "How much do you remember?" Her question looked as if it had brought Percy back down from the sky- the change was so dramatic. His hopeful smile turned to a frown.

"Bits and pieces. I've been on quests- something about..." he paused making a conscious effort to say it right. "Saturn?" He fingered his last bead while Gwen almost glared at him, she was staring so intently.

"How could you have been on quests? Where were you when we fighting on Mt Tam?" she glared at him accusingly and Percy automatically got defensive.

"Don't act like both of you don't know." And they did know. Recently in their many of moments of silence it had finally clicked. That was the end of that line of thought- at least out loud. The rest of the conversation was meaningless. Stupid stuff like how Ixion's face looked when Gwen stabbed him. 'The ultimate rejection.' as said by Bobby. They all knew where they were going now, which was a relief.

Percy couldn't help but notice the excited expressions on his friends' faces. He felt a bit happy too, that it was all finally over with. He was even looking forward with his next encounter with a certain goddess of marriage. He was ready to tell her off, in a 'not respectful' (as she would say) way.

But he also couldn't help the feeling of jealousy bubbling up in him. Gwen and Bobby were finally going home. The only home they had known since they were around five or so. Percy's life was still sketchy to him, especially the exact location where _it _was. Juno (even in his thoughts he couldn't say the name normally) had done that so he doesn't run away.

Percy thought of Rachel. He distinctly remembered the first image he had when he saw her almost vividly. Well, as vivid as things could get when it seemed like he was looking through someone else's eye glasses. _The blue plastic hairbrush and the goth boy that was tied up. _Was it Nick? Nat? It didn't matter. The rest of the scene followed with the N-named boy dropping a boulder over a golden-eyed guy. The most disturbing part? Directly before that _Rachel_ had thrown a brush at what he somehow knew was Kronos._ Rachel _who was supposed to be the Sybil and nothing else. He never truly believed that but no matter. _  
><em>

The image tied with that disturbing one. Annabeth was crying, sobbing. He could see her, but his past-self did nothing. He felt a huge ache in his chest when it replayed in his mind. And he finally realized exactly why it felt so wrong when he hugged Gwen. Lately though it had felt less and less like his heart was being prodded with a cold metal rod. It had turned more friendly between them and he was pretty sure Gwen harbored no more feelings for him. Which was good because he would definitely need friends in about the next few hours of his life. When he told the rest of the demigods at SPQR... they would probably not take it very well that he was Greek.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Almost the end! 2 more chapters! Wow, this is a long story. I only really noticed that a couple days ago... Anyway thanks to all who reviewed as always. Last chapter someone anonymous mentioned that I forgot to mention that Percy had bathed in the Styx. That's only because when I started out writing this, I didn't see the official second chapter so I didn't (SPOILER ALERT) know that he was going to lose the curse. So I wanted to make this as real as possible to the real book (it's probably completely different anyway) so I hardly mentioned it in this story at all. Anyway, as always I hope you and enjoy and please review! I love it when my inbox fills up with fanfiction :D  
>~Hedley is Amazing<br>**


	24. Realizations

Percy was reminded of the first time he had ever seen the guards at the doors of SPQR. Well really they were just some of the elder demigods from SPQR who attracted too many monsters to go out in the real world. They since their usual training, been taught to be a guard and let demigods in and monsters,mortals etc. out. The first time, they had glanced over Percy disapprovingly, this time however he was greeted with rare smiles. Yet the doors still opened wordlessly.

Bobby and Gwen had only slightly stupid smiles on their faces when they saw the crowd rushing towards them. Immediately they were welcomed with shouting and disturbed once-overs. Well they did look pretty worn out what with surviving a major quest and all.

The only answers given were 'I'll tell you later.' That is until Rachel showed up, a trotting wolf close behind. The redhead smiled brightly when she saw Percy but took a step back when she saw his glare. His anger was over-topped with confusion so she took a step towards him again. Nearly all of it was caused by her.

"Percy," she said quietly and the boy's head whipped around, shaggy black hair blowing in the wind. However, Rachel's eyes held a question for him, one she knew he'd understand. _Do you know? _Percy nodded slightly about to say something when Reyna interrupted.

"This calls for a council meeting, don't you think Lupa?" The wolf agreed and so off the elder demigods went to the coliseum replica that they more commonly called the arena.

"Now tell us, exactly what happened." Dakota started looking directly at Percy. Everyone else looked expectantly at him and so he started the long story of his quest. Truthfully, things had happened that he had almost entirely forgotten or chosen not to remember. And so Bobby started filling in the details. At some points, mouths opened in shock and tiny fits of laughter were just barely contained.

Percy scanned all the reactions and to him the most disturbing by far was Lupa's. Maybe he was misinterpreting but he doubted it. The knowing look in her face… he had seen it since he had gotten here. The part that confused him further was Rachel's expression; it was identical to the wolf's. When it came time to tell about Vancouver's 'festival' Percy stopped and looked at Gwen. The daughter of Ceres finally finished and waited for the onslaught of questions sure to follow.

"What…" someone's meek voice started only to be interrupted by Dakota's demanding one.

"That doesn't even make sense? How did the monsters keep reforming so fast?" The stare he gave Percy was less hateful than before the quest. The reason behind that was partly owed to the completion of his quest. But mostly it was due to his preoccupation with the information he had just been fed.

"The doors of death." Bobby's ominous voice spoke reinforcing Rachel's apocalyptic thoughts. About half the heads in the clearing and half turned to the Sybil. They were waiting for a confirmation.

"You're right." The redhead's voice asserted cutting the confusion and instilling a sort of unambiguous idea. And so, one by one, even the ones with the slower working minds started to understand.

"Another war so soon?" Reyna inquired in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. She had only gotten used to the fact that Jason wasn't really around, and now the gods hit her with this.

"I thought you already knew when she-" Percy jerked his thumb to Lupa. "-said the prophecy was starting." He had made a good point, but truthfully Reyna knew… she just didn't want to believe it just yet. She remembered the quote 'ignorance is bliss'. Though in this case, she didn't want a fake happiness. She needed to confirm what she had been suspecting for a while.

"Does he know where he came from?" Hazel said not addressing Percy though she was referring to him. In this manner she reminded them all of Dakota. But this daughter of Bacchus always had been a tad bit indirect.

"I do." Percy cut into Gwen's words. He wanted to say this for himself. "But you won't like it." Maybe a little bit subconsciously, his eyes darted to Lupa. She looked almost scared, her tail swishing nervously. Just like… like _Chiron. _Percy's eyes flashed to Rachel's once more who nodded encouragingly. Though it must have been the oracle shining through her to him, but she knew that her friend had to do this.

"What do you mean?" Dakota said through clenched teeth. Though he was a tiny bit inept he had an inkling of a thought as to where the son of Poseidon was from.

"There's another camp." Percy said after a deep breath of anticipation. And then exactly what he expected to happen- did.

"You're their scout?" Reyna scowled, hand automatically reaching for her bow. Percy however, put his hands out in front of them even though were itching to draw Riptide.

"No. I'm not, I'm…" He paused not really knowing how to explain and still get a calm reaction. Realizing there was no way to achieve that he continued. "…a peacemaker."

Whispers spread through the crowd and Rachel couldn't help but appreciate his choice of words. It might have been best for him to not say it like that but, she knew it had to be done eventually.

"Well an offering really." Percy cut Dakota off only succeeding in pissing him off even further.

"From where?" Ok, now he was practically snarling. "I swear to Mars if you're from Saturn-" Kota didn't choose to leave his threat hanging, he yet again was interrupted

Gwen knew her part in this was coming. And Bobby's too. "Dakota just shut up for once in your life." The boy huffed and completely ignored the order. The daughter of Ceres is ranked significantly lower in the ranks than he is. So technically speaking he could 'disobey' her.

"No honestly the way you two are so obviously defending him, you'd think he's a Greek or worse." Percy's face twisted into an unreadable expression to all but Rachel and Hazel. He had tolerated the son of Mars far too long for his liking.

Rachel locked eyes with Hazel and an understanding passed through them. The black haired girl went and put a hand on Percy's shoulder who took a deep breath to contain his anger. Composing himself after sneaking a look at Rachel he spoke again.

"Funny you keep mentioning that. Since I am." The looks that crossed all around the council meeting could easily be described as mostly murderous. The only ones who were still sort of composed were Gwen's, Bobby's and of course Rachel's. Even Lupa who had been silent almost the entire time started pacing. Percy had blurted it out in the most un-strategic action she'd ever witnessed.

This commotion was followed by a dead silence and many, many glares from mainly one person. When Percy didn't step down, Dakota drew his sword.

"What are you doing here?" he asked taking a step closer. For Percy the temptation to do the same was even stronger than before. Now he had to fight his own urge with a new intensity. He didn't speak so Bobby stepped forward.

"Does it really matter?" I mean…" One fail was recorded in Rachel's head when the son of Mercury's voice faded.

"No it doesn't. We need to come together to defeat Gaea." Percy announced in a very stentorian-like way. A flicker of understanding crossed the sword handler's face. All those who had previously been backing him, retreated a step or two from him. Nearly simultaneously expressions of realization passed over all their faces. The blade in front of Percy wavered until it was sheathed.

"I know," A partially defeated Dakota is not what a camper would see. He only showed up on very rare occasions and still it was only a guest appearance. The confident one was back a second after his declaration.

"This other camp, is it like ours?" A fascinated Kaelyn- daughter of Minerva asked in wonder, her voice pertaining to an excited interviewer ready to take notes. It dropped when Percy spoke again.

"Not really, well… I don't know." His hand ran through his ever-unruly raven black hair. It dropped into his eyes again so he gave up.

"How do we know there's a Greek camp when you have no memory?" Bobby questioned, not because he doubted his truth, but because he wasn't entirely sure of other things.

"It's true." Lupa's voice drifted through the crowd like a welcoming mist. It brought reassurance to a very unsure topic. Rachel remained still and silent. Only watching, knowing that she mustn't interfere.

"I know bits and pieces that Juno -the always endowing goddess she is- returned to me." Sarcasm dripped through his words much to the dislike of nearly everyone there. This was a serious situation; Percy needed to comply with the attitude reflecting that.

"Quiet Perseus or she will take them back yet again. The way you know her may be forgiving but Juno is not." Lupa quipped in a way that annoyed Percy even more.

"Yes ma'am." Percy inserted respectfully. Not that he had particularly wanted to, it was just what the moment required.

"And I think that some recognition is required." Lupa barked out which automatically made Reyna flinch back.

"But Jason…" This is where Gwen's day-old theory would come in handy.

"…is at the Greek camp." This discovery just about sent everyone reeling if it weren't for Lupa.

"And he will return when he can just like the son of Neptune will to his own fort. It will be just before the next solstice so we all must prepare for the reconciliation. But for more pressing matters at the moment… Reyna go-" The last part just added to Percy's growing vexation for it was spoken in Latin. The only recognizable part to him was Reyna's name.

He was also oblivious to the stares he was receiving. Percy stood there while Bobby did the same, only reminiscing. Gwendolyn could only stare at the green eyed boy in disbelief. Hazel leaned on Dakota who was silently fuming. Rachel made herself blend in with the rest of the shocked crowd all waiting to see how the son of newly rediscovered son of Poseidon would take the brand new responsibility he would carry on his shoulders.

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><p><strong>AN: Second last chapter right here. I'm sad but happy I'm almost done my first multi-chapter story. Hope this chapter was worth my not updating for a few days. Review please? I'm trying to get close to 150 near the end of this. But still THANK YOU to everyone who has read this story :D **  
><strong>~Hedley is Amazing<strong>


	25. The Ending: Inevitable

**A/N: So… it's been a while but anyway, here is the final chapter of SPQR. Less than two months to go till the real thing! Hope this was fun to read, feel free to give constructive criticism and whatever else you may want to say. Thanks to all who reviewed and read :D  
>~Hedley is Amazing~ (best band ever!)<strong>

* * *

><p><em>March 31...<em>

The fact that that every breathing moment of his day was filled up with training had nothing to do with him being Greek. _Nothing at all…_ Percy thought only half bitterly as he parried some beginner's thrust. He had promised to work with this particular, eager little son of Mars for a while. It was nowhere near a challenge, mostly due to him being only ten.

A smile worked its way onto Percy's sweat stained face when he remembered Reyna's reaction to his accusation. She- of course gave him a wide-eyed 'what the hell are you talking 'bout?' look that didn't fool him for a second. When that didn't convince him, she turned to feverish denial.

"You need to train! We need better sword-fighters, the war is coming- incase that slipped your mind..." She trailed off or maybe he just zoned out. There was a decent amount of truth in what she had said. He did need to train, they all did. It's not like he'd been doing that before he initiated her outburst or anything. In fact, before that he was vacationing on the beach! _I wish._

Coming back to the present, Percy, with a sigh lifted the kid he had just beaten off of the ground. Reyna had mentioned a very sore topic for him. Well, really anything that had to do with his lack of knowledge about his past and his future was nearly impossible to talk about. For anyone really, but Percy doubted (well, he knew) that no one else was dealing with any amnesia problems. Besides, it wasn't as if he didn't try hard to keep the topic buried deep at the back of his mind. Because he did, it was a useless effort though.

And with each passing moment, the inevitable day just got closer and closer. _How in Hades do you build a boat in six months? _ Somehow Percy doubted they would finish on time, but he never mentioned that. The Romans would take that small suggestion and twist into some lie that he couldn't live down. _It's just like normal high school. _Some of the Venus girls just live for life threatening drama. But Percy's thoughts never failed in trying to keep his mind from sinking into such thoughts.

This is of course is when he realized that he was definitely not a masochist. He was not one for angst and depression- it would do no one any good anyway. Percy looked at the preteen in front at who had an expression on his face that said this situation was awkward for him. _Ditto kid, _he thought and couldn't help but think it was because of Dakota. This was since he was his councilor or some other name in the Roman hierarchy he couldn't be bothered with remembering. Percy had trained with him and all the others in the First Legion and the second and the third… Over the past few weeks that he had been announced praetor, he had sparred with almost everybody.

* * *

><p>That awkward little moment where he was left standing in the arena with all of the First Legion (minus Reyna) was because the daughter of Apollo had been sent to fetch the Aquila. When she had returned with it, he could only look on and think. <em>It's a freaking chicken on a stick. <em>He uncharacteristically managed to bite his tongue and not say anything while Reyna recited something in Latin. With a start, he realized he was being accepted into the ranks.

The reactions differed from person to person. Confusion, shock, anger, acceptance… Lupa didn't care either way. She knew that this was what had to be done and surviving a quest was as good as passing one of her little tests. So Percy did what he knew he had to. He agreed. Gwen stepped in for a second while Percy tried to balance the Aquila in his right hand.

"What is he now?" Gwendolyn drawled on in the foreign language which Percy had almost gotten used to listening to.

"Aquilifer…and Praetor." An outburst followed the last word. All were protesting because that was Jason's rank. And since when did a person have two titles?

"Since…" Rachel started loudly enough to silence everyone. She needed to say this to make up for her own moments of silence earlier. "…Gaea has been rising." Everyone died down after a bit the talk after that only reaching its climax when Dakota questioned Percy again.

"You know where this 'other camp' is?"

"Nope," Percy popped the 'p' as everyone looked at him incredulously. He had leaned the golden eagle back on a neighboring tree as casually as if it were a hockey stick.

"That…" Hazel trailed on for even she (the chatterbox) had no idea what to say.

"…sucks?" Percy finished, ignoring the fact that he might have offended everyone. If they had a problem they could say something. Bobby just nodded and then Lupa had declared quickly that the end of the meeting.

* * *

><p>When he came out of his reverie he noticed he was all alone. This was honestly a first for him, it was odd that there wasn't at least one watchful eye on him as there was so constantly. This really was the farthest thing from a paradise Percy could imagine, except school… He briefly wondered if his 'school' didn't just kick him out after disappearing for months on end.<p>

"It's called mist Percy." Said boy automatically dug into his pocket for the pen he had no memory of capping. He stopped however, when he saw the speaker.

"Rachel." One word, just the way he said her name- brought her to realize just how awkward it had become between them. She wistfully recalled the days when they would just relax in his stepfather's Prius talking of anything but the prophecy. But then it crossed her mind that he didn't remember and she was brought back into today, to see him with eyebrows furrowed. Hadn't Annabeth said that that was what he did when he was worried? Or confused… both? She cursed herself for not knowing.

She took a breath and skillfully danced around the subject she needed to talk about. "Goode High is pretty easy to trick, especially with Paul…" she trailed off leaving him with the blurry image of a wedding and… hoof prints?

"Did you go there? The school I mean?" He decided to play along with her game of avoiding the subject. It would pass the time after all.

"Yeah, before I went to Clarion." She pointed to a badge on her shirt that had gone unnoticed till now.

"That wasn't a lie?" She shook her head, saddened by the disbelief in his voice. "So you're both?" He asked yet again knowing that she would understand. The scene to anyone else would be normal- at least if they were looking from afar. Still, Rachel looked around her in every direction before nodding. And that's all that Percy needed to confirm what he already knew.

"Do they know?" Percy asked reasoning that this was the only question he really needed to ask at the moment.

"No and don't you go telling them, there's going to be a right time that's not now." At the second part of that sentence Percy saw her eyes glow brighter green than his own and he looked away. To the deep forest. In his mind's eye he saw himself sledding down the side of the hill, past the tunnel… the river, the guards at the door, the annoyed honking of the cars as he crossed the highway. Rachel was equally quiet seeing him in the beating sun. She glanced down at the last bead on his necklace she had given input about. Once an artist, always an artist. Then she spoke ruining the momentary peace they had been sharing as friends.

"I'm going back." His eyes widened as he turned back toward her.

"To camp?" He spoke quietly knowing the answer. Rachel confirmed his guesses once again, explaining that she had promised Annabeth she'd help with the ship and the planning. Percy's mouth opened, closed and then again. He knew what he wanted to say. For Rachel to tell Annabeth that he missed her, he knew her and he lov-

"Goodbye Percy," she whispered as she squeezed his arm and then pounced off faster than he could follow. He didn't even try to do that sank right in the middle of the empty arena with a sigh. Everyone must have been gone to prepare for dinner. And he just needed a single minute of peace before he would get up.

"Enjoying your break?" _Really?_ Was all Percy could think as he turned to look at- who else? The peacock goddess, queen of the heavens and every other title she had and he was to lazy to use in his own thoughts.

"Juno." He said realizing that he had finally spoken in the Roman terms. He shrugged it off as he stood. After brushing himself off he looked directly at her, almost eagerly anticipating what she would say. Recognizing what was rising inside of him as hope he crushed it down. Everyone had been clear enough; he would stay here until after the war. No sooner, no later.

"Really Percy, I would have thought you'd realize that I have always been Hera to you. But," she raised one finger regally in the air as she continued speaking. He hated that she seemed so unreal, not a hair was lifted by the slight breeze. _She only likes perfect families; of course she would want to be perfect. _

"You have done me a favor. And I suppose it could be called a heroic deed as well. The war has been postponed once again."

"Again?" he asked, completely ignoring the annoyed look on Hera's face. But then he realized why. What had Echo… or Lamia said about another boy going somewhere east? Then suddenly it clicked. "They stopped it… December?" He figured he might as well fish for more information while he could. Hera nodded.

"You have succeeded so far in making acquaintances, continue and you shall get all the memories as promised." Percy started to protest but Hera's finger was up again. "I have already given back many haven't I?" She didn't wait for a response, just nodded to herself, warned him once more of the outcome if he were to fail and disappeared. Percy cursed her in a string of languages even Latin thrown into the mix. But soon he got tired of that and walked off, out of the arena.

He tried to blend in with the crowd rushing to the pavilion. Unfortunately it didn't work for when he tried to shove pass someone and look like just another camper, everyone walked further away from him. Percy didn't whether it was because he's Greek or because he's the praetor and they needed to show respect. So sighing, he gave up on his plan and continued to walk- almost march towards the hall.

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><p><em>June...<em>

Bobby watched Percy sit alone from afar. He himself was currently helping out in the kitchen with Gwen as punishment for a petty fight they had yesterday. Reyna was planning with Lupa as she had been for days on end now and Dakota and Gwen were nowhere to be found. He only assumed they had accompanied the daughter of Apollo in order to avoid sitting with him. But months had passed since the realization that Percy was Greek, and any attempt to avoid him was futile to Dakota.

True that it was most likely only safety precautions made by a peacemaking Hazel who hadn't wanted another fight. Though, she no longer needed to go to such lengths to avoid fights. Not after Percy and Bobby had made their gruff understanding. Bobby had watched it from afar, waiting to step in, in case of well the same thing Hazel was avoiding. But turns out his old friend Kota had more sense than he had let on. Either that of the fact that, 'Percy made up for all the weak Greeks out there' as he had put. The son of Poseidon's eyes flashed but he smiled as he shook his hand.

Bobby scrubbed yet another dirty dish brought from a younger camper as he still watched the still recently announced leader of their camp. He ate fast, stuffing bread down his throat- only enough to keep him from hunger. It was quite obvious that he was uncomfortable with all the eyes on him and he couldn't help but compare Percy to Jason for the hundredth time.

In looks they were completely opposite except the so obvious powerful aura that almost surrounded them. Bobby guessed that that was just a thing that all children of the eldest gods had. But it was also the fact that they were so alike. Both leaders, brave… powerful. Jason seemed to have no luck family-wise and Bobby had no clue about Percy's family. Though, the son of the sea god certainly had no luck when it came to other parts of his life. It was clear to anyone that both had a destiny to fulfill and were in turn unlucky.

Bobby sighed yet again, handing the dish off to Gwen to be dried. He watched as the boy fingered his necklace. With a start Bobby realized that they must be from his home. The Romans separated from the other camp for years. And now they were forced together by the boy sitting alone at the dinner table and the other one who was miles away. And Bobby couldn't blame anyone. Certainly not Percy who had no say in this, or Jason who he hadn't seen for nearly six months and counting. Not even the goddess who had been behind all this because she had done it for 'the greater good.' Bobby had heard it all before and was sick of it.

When the bell chimed out, signifying that dinner was finished he immediately ditched his spot at the sink overlooking the pavilion. He continued to try and find his friends and realized that Gwen had followed him.

Percy saw them and stood then scraped off the rest of his food in the fire. The smoke that went off reminded him of a home he didn't know and better times that he hoped would come again. The heat had been constant lately causing Percy to roll up his thin long sleeved shirt. Gwen until then had allowed herself to believe he was a normal camper… until she saw his bare left arm. Summer solstice was nearing and still no one had brought up the courage to offer the tattoo to him.

The three friends met in the middle of the clearing where everyone had already dispersed.

"Hey," Percy smiled brightly as Gwen narrowed her eyes.

"You two aren't planning some prank on me or something? You better not be or I swear…" Percy laughed, happy that some of the normality they had retained on the quest was slowly being regained. Bobby grinned in a mischievous way that led both of his friends to conclude that he actually did have something planned.

They laughed walking off to the edge of the camp. They were joking and shrugging off the hard work from that day. The sun was as scorching as ever seeing as it was already June. They were nearing the deadline with every second that passed and Percy couldn't help but feel the doubt that was being passed around the camp in the form of whispers. What if the Greeks didn't come through? But then the Romans reassured themselves with the fact that Jason was there.

'_He'll do the right thing- with or without memory!' _Percy had heard a younger girl whisper then look up at him warily. So many people had looked at him the same way as if he would reprimand them when they'd talk about something besides training. He didn't like it but he ignored it easily most times. But on that day after dinner when nothing seemed to matter with Gwen and Bobby, yet another face stared up at him like that. And this one was one he never expected to see mixed with so many complicated emotions. Dakota?

"Percy," his voice that asked permission to speak automatically told Percy that this matter was official. So he briefly nodded, going into his praetor mode (as Reyna had teasingly called it) while Kota continued anxiously.

"Reyna was gone on a secret mission to Lupa so we took her place in partaking in the plan making." Percy nodded impatiently while Bobby and Gwen tensed beside him. They were staring at something behind, probably Lupa chewing some poor kid out. He would deal with that later, now Kota needed to continue talking.

"And she sent an I.M," Percy had heard all about Iris messaging after a couple weeks of returning to the Legion from his quest. Some Iris kid explained to him that he was currently unreachable by I.M. Hera's doing. Dakota continued. "That they were coming."

"Who?" He asked stupidly, for he knew the answer. Still he turned slowly and saw what the others had already seen. A familiar metal dragon that caused pain to shoot up in his head as a masthead… Oars lining the side of the beautiful contraption… Clouds were billowing past even the lowest point in the boat… for the ship was... flying?

"Your camp, the Greeks." Dakota's voice was unheard to him as Percy craned his neck to see the figures leaning over the sign that had 'The Argo II' painted on it in delicate letters. But when he caught sight of the blonde girl scanning the approaching crowd, missing him… All other thoughts but her name and his faint will to fight his urge to not scream her name left. _Annabeth._

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><p><strong>AN: So yes, the Greeks have arrived. I hope you all got that from the semi-dramatic last paragraph there. This story is now complete and there will be no sequels. I will however, make some one-shots taking circling around the second Giant war soon. So feel free to check back with me in a few weeks? **

**Anyway at that last scene I imagined Ashley Horne's ten second part in Doctor Who… I don't watch it but I love The Midnight Beast so… anyway I'm done with the boring author's note and now I'm just going to ask you to review- one last time :'D **


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